Boy found unconscious at HM Prison Cookham Wood dies

originally by: BBC News
published: 26th January 2012

A 15-year-old boy has died after being found unconscious in his cell at a young offenders institution in Kent. The Prison Service said Alex Kelly had been identified as being at risk of suicide or self-harm, but did not give details of the boy’s condition when he was found. Kelly was taken to hospital from HMP Cookham Wood, near Rochester, but he later died, a spokeswoman said.

He had been serving a 10-month sentence for burglary and theft from a vehicle. The teenager was found in his cell at about 20:30 GMT on Tuesday.

Staff tried to resuscitate him and paramedics attended before he was taken to hospital, but he was pronounced dead at 19:30 GMT on Wednesday.

Kelly is the second young offender to die within a week at young offenders institutions in the UK. Jake Hardy was found at Hindley young offenders institution in Wigan on Friday and taken to hospital, where he died on Tuesday.

The Prison Service spokeswoman said: “Every death in custody or the community is a tragedy for families and has a profound effect on staff and other offenders.

“The National Offender Management Service (Noms) is committed to reducing the numbers of deaths in custody.

“Each death is subject to an investigation and, since 2004, these have been undertaken by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

“Additionally, for young people who die in custody there will be a serious case review, commissioned by the local safeguarding board.”

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