The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A RELATIVE of a mentally ill man who died in hospital this week, two weeks after a prison fight, is calling for justice and accused correctional officers of not paying attention to the inmates the night the attack occurred.

The relative also feels the deceased should not have been sent to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services due to his mental health challenges, but should have been sent to Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre for help instead. Officials at the prison say an investigation is underway into the incident.

The inmate, Kensey Cooper, died in hospital on Tuesday. He had been in a fight at the prison on October 10 which left him with injuries. He was being held on a stealing charge.

The Grand Bahama native, who was in his 40s, was housed in a mental block in the remand centre, BDCS acting Commissioner of Corrections Doan Cleare said yesterday. However, he did not want to comment further on the inmate’s mental status.

 As a result of the fight Mr Cooper sustained head injuries and was sent to hospital where he later died on October 25.

 In a Facebook post this week, a relative of the deceased claimed prison officers were not properly monitoring inmates, alleging that Mr Cooper was beaten “for hours well into the night until he was unconscious” by two other inmates.

 The relative claimed Mr Cooper was not discovered until the next morning.

 “It was then that he was transported to PMH where he was placed on life support until his untimely demise. While in hospital we received little to no information about the status of his condition or recovery.

 “It is very disheartening to know that this is how inmates and mental patients are treated in prison and in the healthcare system. There is a complete disregard for both their mental and physical health.

 “We are in pain, we are saddened and in disbelief that something like this even happened,” the relative added.

 The relative admitted that Mr Cooper had mental health issues, but said he should have been sent to Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre for treatment (SRC) — not prison.

 However, SRC reportedly could not admit him due to an influx of patients. According to the relative’s post, Mr Cooper was receiving some mental health care in BDCS.

 Yesterday, acting Commissioner Cleare said he is aware of some of the claims made by the family of the deceased, noting the investigation of the matter is ongoing.

 When contacted for comment yesterday, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said if a person is mentally ill and commits a crime and is not given bail then they will be remanded to the prison.

 He said a person may be medically treated while at the prison for their mental illness.

 Mr Munroe continued: “But this conception that if you’re mentally ill you go to Sandilands is not correct, the court has to determine to give you bail or to remand you in custody.

 “The court has to determine to give you bail, or to remand you in custody. The court, sometimes in the Magistrate’s Court, I see them talk about they would send you to Sandilands for evaluation for a period of 14 days to be evaluated when you come back.

 “And they determined that you’re fit to plead, to answer to the charge, then you are remanded to prison if you’re not given bail,” Mr Munroe said.

 He added: “My understanding was while he (the inmate) was mentally ill, he understood what was happening and I don’t think it was an issue of him being determined whether he was fit to plead to or not.”