Published Wednesday, 17 February 2010
John Kenneway, 44, who was a member of the INLA gang that murdered LVF leader Billy Wright inside the Maze prison in 1997, was found hanging in his cell in nearby Maghaberry jail three years ago.
When he took his own life he was being housed in the Special Supervision Unit (SSU) amid police fears he was under threat of attack by fellow paramilitary inmates.
Kenneway, who had a history of depression and self harm, hung himself in June 2007 by attaching a shoe lace to the metal grille on his cell window.
Northern Ireland Prisoner Ombudsman Pauline McCabe has called for major changes at Maghaberry.
It is the latest criticism of anti-suicide procedures at the high-security facility near Lisburn where a total of four inmates have killed themselves in the last five years.
In one of her 19 recommendations, the ombudsman urged the authorities at Maghaberry to replace the window grilles in SSU with specialist anti-ligature ones.
She also said prison officers should have access to custom knifes to cut ligatures and that procedures in the unit need to be introduced to allow for the rapid unlocking of cell doors in emergencies.
It took officers a full minute to open the door when they found the INLA assassin's body hanging.
In the weeks before his death he had complained to friends and family about being held in isolation for so long - he resided in the SSU for 122 days prior to his death.
Kenneway's requests to be moved to either the republican Roe House wing of Maghaberry or to the main integrated wings had been blocked over police concerns of attack from dissident republican inmates or loyalists intent on scoring revenge for Wright's murder.
Mrs McCabe recommended more suitable accommodation for prisoners who needed to be protected from other inmates.
She also called for the provision of more diversionary activities and time outside of the cells for those held in such conditions.
Depression
Mrs McCabe said prison authorities were aware of his medical history of depression when he returned to prison but noted that a referral to a psychiatrist was not made until a day before his death, despite his earlier requests for an appointment.
Days before he died, Kenneway had an application for temporary compassionate release to attend his grandchild's christening turned down and on the day he killed himself a scheduled family visit did not take place because their car had broken down.
The ombudsman said that in a phone call to a friend hours before his death, the prisoner said: "I am at the lowest part of my life. I mean that. I have no-one, nobody. Do you know what I mean when I say to you I have nobody?"
They did contact a prison nurse, who after two examinations assured them Kenneway was fine.
Mrs McCabe said the doctor was not made aware of the earlier consultations with the nurse or that Kenneway was abusing drugs while in custody.
She said the Prison Service and its health service partners should arrange for a full psychiatric assessment when any patient presents with mental illness symptoms.
Prison authorities and the South Eastern Health Trust have drawn up action plans to address Mrs McCabe's concerns.
The NI Prison Service said many of the issues have now been resolved.
Mrs McCabe acknowledged that the authorities were making changes in relation to the facilities and regime in the SSU.