Westcountry prisoner goes on hunger strike after being served dairy
The mother of an inmate at HMP Bristol has voiced her concern after stating her son is on day nine of a hunger strike, protesting against being consistently served food that he cannot tolerate.
The inmate, who suffers from gluten and dairy intolerances, has reportedly shed 12kg since his imprisonment began. He previously managed to avoid issues with the prison meals by receiving food parcels and preparing his own meals.
Now, it's alleged that he no longer has access to prepare his food with raw ingredients and has resorted to a hunger strike due to this. With repeated instances where meals have been skipped because of improper allergen labelling or refusal to eat allergy-triggering foods, tensions are rising. Photographic evidence reveals that prison menus fail to properly acknowledge allergens.
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Speaking to BristolLive., the prisoner's mother shared her frustrations. She said: "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."
The standard set out by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for catering services in prisons expects 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".
She voiced her fears after revealing that other prisoners suffer from far more severe allergies. One individual battling coeliac disease supposedly experiences bleeding in his stools.
Her son, currently on the ninth day of a hunger strike, continues to refuse all food offered to him, despite the ongoing service of meals. His mother reports a nurse's alarming warning: "It's lucky you didn't eat that food because it could have killed you."
This concern refers to a condition called Refeeding Syndrome, which can occur as a complication if too much food or liquid is consumed too quickly after a period of starvation. These complications can be as severe as cardiac arrest.
During their last visit, the prisoner's physical deterioration was evident to his mother. She said: "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."
She noted the presence of considerate officers within the facility, saying: "There are some really lovely officers there. They want to do the right thing, but somewhere their hands have been tied."
A matter of additional concern for the prisoner's mother is that he hasn't been evaluated by a physician. She cites the HMP Birmingham policy found online, which dictates that "arrangements must be made to inform local hospital emergency consultants, RAID team and ambulance service of the clinical situation" when a coherent inmate shuns both food and drink.
Addressing the issue, 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."