‘My son’s starvation putting at jail ignoring his allergy symptoms – he is bought gray fingers’
A distraught mother has revealed her son is on day nine of a hunger strike at HMP Bristol.
The inmate has allegedly been repeatedly served food he cannot eat due to his intolerances. The prisoner, who has lost 12kg since his incarceration, was initially able to cook his own meals but now claims he’s been denied kitchen access.
The situation worsened as the prison allegedly failed to provide alternative meals when refusing food containing allergens, leading to missed meals. Evidence from photos indicates that allergens are not properly marked on the prison menu.
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The mother expressed her frustration, saying: “He might be given gluten-free cereal, but then be given ordinary milk. Or he could be given dairy-free milk, and normal cereal. He found numerous mistakes on the allergens menu as he is an ex-chef. If he asks for a replacement, he might get nothing.”
(Image: Bristol Live)
This case highlights a potential breach of HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ standards, which mandate that “prisoners are offered varied meals to meet their individual requirements and food is prepared and served according to religious, cultural and prevailing food safety and hygiene regulations.”
The mother of the prisoner stated, stated that other prisoners have more severe allergies. One prisoner who suffers from coeliac disease is allegedly passing blood in his stool, reports Bristol Live.
On a hunger strike for nine days now, the prisoner has shunned food that’s been offered with his mum recounting how a nurse mentioned: “It’s lucky you didn’t eat that food because it could have killed you.”
She expressed concern about Refeeding Syndrome a potentially fatal issue that can arise from eating too much too quickly after starvation.
(Image: BristolLive)
“The last time I saw him, his hands looked grey with his veins at the top. He was cold, grey and very tired and emotional,” the prisoner’s distressed mother reported.
Amidst her worries, she also noted that some guards are quite sympathetic: “There are some really lovely officers there. They want to do the right thing, but somewhere their hands have been tied.”
Her anxiety intensifies as she points out that her son hasn’t had medical attention, referring to HMP Birminghams online policy which states specialists need to be contacted when a prisoner refuses food.
In response, a Prison Service spokesperson assured: “All prisoners are provided with three healthy meals a day that meet nutritional guidelines and dietary requirements, including gluten free and dairy free options if required.”
