Inside young offenders institution where Katie Allan took own life and teen died
A young offender's institution where two young people took their own lives has been described as "worse than any adult prison" by former inmates.
Katie Allan, 21, and William Lindsay, 16, were discovered dead in their cells in separate incidents at HM Polmont Young Offenders Institution in 2018. Their deaths are being investigated at an Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) starting at Falkirk Sheriff Court this week. Among a host of well-documented problems, bullying is said to be rife at the institution, the largest of its kind in Scotland. Even staff have been accused of joining in the taunting and mistreatment of young inmates.
University of Glasgow student Katie Allan had been jailed in March 2018 for 16 months for dangerous driving while over the drink drive limit. Her parents claim that during the final months of her life in the institution, Ms Allan had been "terrorised" by fellow inmates. They are said to have bullied her over her hair loss, which was stress-related, and on one occasion a nurse is reported to have cruelly brought her a banana, rather than a bandana to cover her head. Inmates also forced her to hand over her possessions and do tasks for them, Katie's parents said, while staff reportedly subjected her to strip searches in order to reach their quotas.
The inquiry has heard how William Brown, also known as William Lindsay, was remanded in custody after being deemed a "potential risk to public safety" at Glasgow Sheriff Court on October 4 2018. He was found dead in his cell just three days later after his suicide watch was stopped because he posed "no apparent risk". The 16-year-old had a history of self-harming and mental issues, having previously attempted suicide on numerous occasions.
A total of four inmates at Polmont took their lives in just four years, while a Freedom of Information request in 2019 revealed that two complaints were being brought against staff every month. After the death of 20-year-old Jack McKenzie back in September 2021, one ex-con slammed the institution as "violent" and "degrading" - and claimed it was worse than adult prison. The 36-year-old father of three, who asked not to be named, said he had been in most jails in Scotland, but the 10 months spent at Polmont between 2004 and 2005 had been the most traumatic experience of them all.
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William Lindsay, 16, died at Polmont after being taken off suicide watch (Daily Record)
Katie Allan, 21, had been bullied for months before she died in the prison, her parents claim (PA)He told the Daily Record: "I was in Polmont as a young man and it was the most violent, degrading and mentally challenging environment I’ve ever experienced – and that includes the adult prisons I have been in since. I was there when Polmont was being modernised from an old Victorian jail but it’s clear that nothing has changed. It was a violent institution with violent inmates. If you think that is going to reform or help anyone, you are massively mistaken. You had boys coming from the worst of backgrounds, who never had a chance in life, who just left the care system. Some of them were already heroin addicts."
HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) meanwhile said following a recent inspection that inmates’ rights to an hour’s exercise in the fresh air every day were "clearly being breached" at Polmont, and recommended that they create more areas for outdoor activities. Seven of the nine standards inspected at the facility were however rated as “satisfactory”, including health and wellbeing, while the other two were written up as “generally acceptable”.
Ms Allan's parents Linda and Stuart are giving evidence during the early days of the FAI, which is due to last three weeks, while Mr Lindsay's brother John Reilly will represent his family. The inquiry will explore the circumstances of both deaths, with particular focus on the Scottish Prison Service's suicide prevention strategy.
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch.
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