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Inquiry into baby's death prompts fresh calls to end the incarceration of pregnant women

Inmate gave birth to a stillborn baby after a prison nurse mistook her labour for period pain

FINDINGS that a female inmate gave birth to a stillborn baby after a prison nurse mistook her labour for period pain have prompted fresh calls to end the incarceration of pregnant women. 

An inquiry into the baby’s death by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) found that Louise Powell, 30, gave birth in “shocking circumstances” in a prison toilet without specialist medical assistance or pain relief.

A prison nurse who did not respond to three emergency calls from a prison officer has been referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The PPO’s report, published yesterday, is the second in under six months to investigate the death of a baby in prison. 

The first, published in  September, found that an 18-year-old gave birth alone in her cell in HMP Bronzefield, Middlesex, despite calling out for help. 

Women in Prison chief executive Dr Kate Paradine said that the latest report was “another example of a catastrophic failure of healthcare in prisons.”

She stressed: “Prisons are not safe for women, especially if they are pregnant, and they simply do not have access to healthcare that is equivalent to [that] in the community.” 

Ms Powell did not know she was pregnant when she went into labour on June 18, 2020, at HMP & YOI Styal in Cheshire. She called the baby Brooke. 

She said: “I feel I was let down and Brooke was let down by the people that were supposed to look after us.”

Prisons minister Victoria Atkins said that there is “clearly much more to do to ensure expectant mothers in prison get the same support as those in the community – something I will continue to prioritise.”

Spectrum Community Health CIC, which runs healthcare services at the prison, said that it accepts the findings of the report and is committed to ensuring lessons are learnt. 

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