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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/28/death-in-custody-questions-raised-over-checks-on-queensland-detainee-deemed-suicide-risk
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| Death in custody: questions raised over checks on Queensland detainee deemed a suicide risk | Death in custody: questions raised over checks on Queensland detainee deemed a suicide risk |
| (4 months later) | |
| Exclusive: Guardian Australia understands 30-year-old was held close to main counter of police watch house | Exclusive: Guardian Australia understands 30-year-old was held close to main counter of police watch house |
| A man who died in a Queensland police watch house last week was considered a serious suicide risk but was not checked on for more than an hour after he died, Guardian Australian understands. | A man who died in a Queensland police watch house last week was considered a serious suicide risk but was not checked on for more than an hour after he died, Guardian Australian understands. |
| Police are conducting an internal investigation into the death of the 30-year-old by suicide inside the Beenleigh police holding cells on Saturday. | Police are conducting an internal investigation into the death of the 30-year-old by suicide inside the Beenleigh police holding cells on Saturday. |
| The incident has raised questions about the implementation of police procedures and checks, including whether the man should have been under constant observation. | The incident has raised questions about the implementation of police procedures and checks, including whether the man should have been under constant observation. |
| Guardian Australia understands the man was placed in a padded cell monitored by CCTV cameras, located close to the main watch house counter. He was stripped naked and placed in an anti-suicide smock, which is standard practice for detainees considered a heightened risk of self-harm. | Guardian Australia understands the man was placed in a padded cell monitored by CCTV cameras, located close to the main watch house counter. He was stripped naked and placed in an anti-suicide smock, which is standard practice for detainees considered a heightened risk of self-harm. |
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| Police said in a statement on Saturday the man was discovered dead during a “routine cell check”. But sources and prisoner advocates have questioned why the man had not been under constant observation. | Police said in a statement on Saturday the man was discovered dead during a “routine cell check”. But sources and prisoner advocates have questioned why the man had not been under constant observation. |
| The Queensland police operational procedures manual says a person with “known significant risk factors”, such as actively attempting self-harm, should be placed under “level 4” constant visual supervision. | The Queensland police operational procedures manual says a person with “known significant risk factors”, such as actively attempting self-harm, should be placed under “level 4” constant visual supervision. |
| “The greater the likelihood that a prisoner may suicide or self-harm, the greater the level of supervision and action required to prevent the prisoner suiciding or self-harming,” the police procedures manual says. | “The greater the likelihood that a prisoner may suicide or self-harm, the greater the level of supervision and action required to prevent the prisoner suiciding or self-harming,” the police procedures manual says. |
| Police did not respond to questions about how the man had been classified, or whether the classification by watch house staff was appropriate. | Police did not respond to questions about how the man had been classified, or whether the classification by watch house staff was appropriate. |
| However it is understood the investigation is looking at whether checks were adequate. The Courier-Mail reported this week that the investigation would look into how frequently the man was checked. | However it is understood the investigation is looking at whether checks were adequate. The Courier-Mail reported this week that the investigation would look into how frequently the man was checked. |
| Every prisoner – even in the lowest risk category – must be checked at least once an hour. Sources say the fact the man was clearly deemed a risk, and was placed in an anti-suicide smock, raises questions about his monitoring. | Every prisoner – even in the lowest risk category – must be checked at least once an hour. Sources say the fact the man was clearly deemed a risk, and was placed in an anti-suicide smock, raises questions about his monitoring. |
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| Debbie Kilroy, from the prisoner advocacy group Sisters Inside, said more needs to be done to improve conditions inside Queensland’s watch houses. | Debbie Kilroy, from the prisoner advocacy group Sisters Inside, said more needs to be done to improve conditions inside Queensland’s watch houses. |
| “Police must be held accountable and responsible for everyone who is put in a watch house. There need to be better checks and balances,” Kilroy said. | “Police must be held accountable and responsible for everyone who is put in a watch house. There need to be better checks and balances,” Kilroy said. |
| “It needs to be investigated by the coroner.” | “It needs to be investigated by the coroner.” |
| Police said in a statement the incident was under investigation by the ethical standards command and that “no further comment is available at this time”. | Police said in a statement the incident was under investigation by the ethical standards command and that “no further comment is available at this time”. |
| In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org | In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org |
| In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org | In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org |