Pentonville Prison Criticized for Suicide Watch Failures

0:00On March 23rd, a corner has criticized HMP Pittenville in North London after a 20-year-old inmate took his own life while on Suicide Watch. Mujahid Adam, who faced deportation, died six days after his attempt on March 15th, 2025, despite being in a special at-risk cell. Staff failed to check on him every 15 minutes as required, and records were often inaccurate because officers batched them at Shif's end. He took over 30 minutes to find him, and they delayed the emergency alert, leading to what the inquest called, preventable failings. The corner warned the prison governor about systemic problems, like unclear rules on what counts as a proper check, and issues with the cell setup. That may have aided the Suicide. This marched the second such report for Pittenville this year, following a similar inquest into 33-year-old Gareth Chumber Kelly's death in, July 2023, where poor training, staffing shortages, and ignored self-harm history played roles. A recent inspector's report noted 38% of arrivals feel suicidal, with five self-inflicted deaths

1:05since July 2022. The prison now faces deadlines to respond, pushing for real changes to protect vulnerable inmates.