The Japan Times - Wormwood Scrubs Failings Found After Wife's Urgent Warning Went Unheeded

A Wormwood Scrubs inmate died by hanging despite his wife calling the prison and driving there herself, with the telephone line and buzzer later found not to be working. Isaiah Olugosi, who died on March 28 2022 aged 39, was found in his cell by another prisoner the morning after his wife's efforts to save his life. In a new report , the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Adrian Usher, details a series of “significant failings” on the night Mr Olugosi died, from the technical issues to incomplete checks and missed opportunities to identify the risk of self-harm.

A Prison Service spokesperson stated Wormwood Scrubs’ care of vulnerable prisoners has improved since the case and that it has actioned all of the Ombudsman’s recommendations. Mr Olugosi was remanded into custody on September 3, 2020 on charges including numerous counts of conspiracy to commit fraud. He was taken to Wormwood Scrubs the same day.

Mr Olugosi had no significant history of mental health issues, though did inform staff of drug and alcohol issues prior to entering prison. The Ombudsman’s investigation details instances when Mr Olugosi told staff he was having negative thoughts, and following his conviction in May 2021, he stated he was feeling stressed having been told to expect at least a 14-year sentence. At a mood review in February 2022 he was found to be “moderately depressed”, having indicated he "had felt down, depressed or hopeless on more than half the days and felt like he was a failure nearly every day, but he stated he had not felt suicidal or like harming himself".

On the night before his death Mr Olugosi reportedly stated to a fellow prisoner: “I love you Cuz, I’m very grateful for everything,” which in hindsight the recipient believes was him saying goodbye. Mr Olugosi also spoke to his wife, from whom he had recently separated, via an illicit phone later that evening, during which he became upset. The woman, referred to as Ms D, feared Mr Olugosi was a suicide risk, and so rang the police who told her they would contact the prison.

Ms D then drove to Wormwood Scrubs , where she spent more than two hours trying to contact staff. She left around 1.30am. A check on Mr Olugosi a couple of hours later did not involve anyone entering his cell, and the next morning, a fellow prisoner found him dead.

Mr Usher wrote Mr Olugosi had “significant risk factors for suicide and self-harm”, and that there were “missed opportunities” to identify the support required. The report added: “There were even more significant failings on the night he died. The night patrol did not complete the required checks and, most distressingly, Mr Olugosi’s wife was unable to alert the prison to his suicidal state despite telephoning and attending the prison in person.

“It is utterly unacceptable that family members should be unable to raise the alarm at a prison when they have serious concerns for a prisoner’s welfare.” Mr Usher outlined a series of recommendations, including the introduction of a more robust quality assurance process regarding the checking of cells and that a contingency plan be drawn up on what to do when members of the public arrive at the prison. All of the recommendations were accepted and acted upon. A Prison Service spokesperson stated: “We have accepted and actioned all recommendations from the Prison and Probation Ombudsman.

"HMP Wormwood Scrubs has improved care of vulnerable prisoners following this case, including increasing the number of GPs on site, improving ways to report concerns about prisoner welfare and organising robust healthcare training for all staff."

K.Okada--JT