Inadequate mental health support contributed to prisoner's suicide

A recent coronial inquest has revealed that a young Indigenous prisoner could still be alive if the authorities had responded better to his mental health needs. Ricky-Lee Cound, who was just 22, died in a hospital after harming himself in Hakea Prison three years ago. He was the first adult diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) to die in custody in Western Australia. The inquest, led by Coroner Philip Urquhart, concluded that a combination of factors led to Mr. Cound's death. He was transferred to Hakea after unrest at Acacia Prison and was on a management system for at-risk inmates. However, he was taken off this system just three hours before he died. Leading up to his death, Hakea Prison was facing a severe outbreak of COVID-19, which affected almost 170 inmates, including Mr. Cound. Staff members reported a chaotic environment due to changing protocols and a lack of personnel. Mr. Cound had expressed feeling "stressed" and asked to be moved to a safer location, but this request was not fulfilled. Instead, he remained in a cell where he could inflict harm upon himself. When Mr. Cound was eventually discovered unresponsive, prison officers were dealing with another self-harm incident and took time to check on him. Attempts to revive him failed, and he later died in the hospital. The coroner noted that if Mr. Cound had been moved to a safer cell as he requested, the chance of his death would have been significantly lower. The coroner's report included eight recommendations aimed at improving safety protocols in the prison system. These included mandatory training for officers on caring for inmates with FASD and providing safer options for prisoners who express self-harm concerns. Mr. Cound's mother, Santana, expressed deep sorrow over her son's death, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous individuals in the criminal justice system. She stated that their family will never heal from the pain of losing him.