Mother of prisoner found dead in cell says new tech to monitor vital signs should be 'fast-tracked'

Olivia Kelleher 

The mother of a young man who was found cold to the touch in his cell at Cork Prison, having died of withdrawal seizures, has called on the prison service to fast-track the introduction of a technology which remotely monitors the vital signs of certain prisoners.

Cork Coroner’s Court heard that Rigor mortis had set in in the fingers of Jamie Crowley when he was found dead in his cell on the morning of March 14th, 2024.

He had been hospitalised for withdrawal seizures the day before his death. However, his condition stabilised in a matter of hours and he was returned to custody.

He was on all the appropriate medication for withdrawals having been prescribed them by a prison GP when he entered custody six days before his death .

Crowley did not receive a physical medical check in his cell from 7pm on March 13th until the alarm was raised by his cellmate at 7.30am the following morning.

The 27-year-old was in a Vulnerable Persons Unit and a prison officer looked through the hatch every fifteen minutes as per protocol.

As Crowley was lying in his bed the presumption was that he was sleeping. Representatives of the Irish Prison Service (IPS) at the inquest acknowledged the inherent limitations of hatch checks.

Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, carried out a postmortem on the deceased. No llegal drugs were detected in the blood sample taken from Crowley when he was in hospital.

Illicit drugs were also not found in the urine of the deceased at postmortem level. There was also no evidence of trauma or third party involvement

The brain of the deceased was submitted for a detailed examination. Pinpoint haemorrhages were found which Dr Bolster said was “suggestive of seizures.”

Dr Bolster said that Crowley had a history of withdrawal seizures and tested posted for cocaine, cannabis and benzodiazepines upon his committal to prison on March 8th, 2024.

Crowley had readily admitted to a nurse in the committal interview that he had a chaotic lifestyle and a history of drug taking. He had spent some time sleeping in a tent,

Dr Bolster warned that alcohol withdrawal seizures can be life threatening,

“It is a well known fact that alcoholics have seizures. Alcoholics may die of these seizures.

Verdict of misadventure

"Alcohol damages brain in all sorts of ways. Damage is ongoing. It (alcohol) is so toxic to the brain. Whether he was an epileptic as well we will never know as he had no formal diagnosis of it. He had multiple seizures from alcohol withdrawal.”

A verdict of misadventure was recorded in the case. The jury recommended that if proposed remote monitoring which is being trailed by the prison service proves to be successful its scope should be extended to all vulnerable persons.

Meanwhile, Assistant Governor at Cork Prison, Bryan Clancy, confirmed that technology to monitor vital signs such as temperature and pulse is set to be trialled at Cloverhill and Limerick Prisons

National Operation Nurse Manager for the IPS, Enda Kelly, said that it was important to state that prisons provide primary care and are not equipped with hospital wings or infirmaries.

He said that that remote technology equipment will not be available in every cell and that the roll out faces “numerous hurdles” such as privacy and human rights compliance.

“Other jurisdictions (who are employing the technology) have had huge problems with such issues. It (remote technology) is not a panacea. It is an assistance."

Kelly said that it was not possible for prisoners to be wired up to monitoring or to use wearable monitoring devices. He said that such devices could be stolen or broken by inmates.

Coroner Philip Comyn joined gardai and representatives of IPS in offering his condolences to the family of the deceased following their loss.

A statement from Deirdre Crowley, the mother of the late Jamie Crowley was read in to the record in court. She said that her late son was a kind man who had a wonderful smile.

She said that Jamie deserved a “long life” and detailed the “permanent void” his death has caused in their family.

Speaking outside the court Deirdre Crowley said that she was not confident that real changes will occur following the death of her son.

“Something like this happened (in Cork Prison) a couple of years ago and nothing ever changed. (The technology) should have been done years ago. It (deaths) like this are happening all of the prisons. Something is happening all the time in prisons.”

She added that her son always wanted to be a “top chef” and loved making cakes as a youngster.

“He was a funny little lad. He brought out his own cookery book. He loved his two little children. He loved his all.

I can’t understand why I will never hear his voice. I see people on the street that look like him and of course its not him. My son should still be here.”