Inmate dies at Rimutaka Prison, despite CPR from fellow prisoners

Prison officers and inmates at Rimutaka Prison worked together in vain to save an inmate found unresponsive following a “medical emergency” in a low security unit.

But fellow prisoners who watched the incident unfold at the Upper Hutt facility on Sunday are unhappy with how it was handled and the time it took for assistance to arrive – the latter not addressed by Corrections in response to Stuff questions.

The man is understood to have died despite efforts to revive him via CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillation (using an AED).

Acting Rimutaka Prison director Rob Anesi​ confirmed the death, adding there was no indication it was suspicious.

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“Our staff, with the assistance of prisoners and paramedics, made every effort to save him. However, they were sadly unable to revive him.”

An inmate, who spoke with Stuff on the condition of anonymity, said it would “haunt” many of them that they weren’t able to save the man.

He said another inmate first started performing CPR, after realising the man was unresponsive and not breathing, while a prison officer radioed for back up.

Inmates took turns performing CPR before a group of officers arrived with a defibrillator about 15 minutes later, the witness said.

Paramedics later arrived and the inmates were returned to their cells and locked down, he said. Although screens were put up, but the man’s body – left where the resuscitation occurred – could still be seen from some cells for about four hours, he said.

A second inmate told Stuff he also felt there was a delay in medical aid being provided by staff.

“The time they took to do this was unsatisfactory.”

He wanted the man’s family to know “we tried to do all we could to help him and save him”.

A spokesperson for Corrections said the “medical emergency” was first identified by a prisoner and custodial staff member, who immediately sought help from other staff members.

They said the response was “staff led” with a “number of prisoners providing assistance to staff for approximately 15 minutes during the immediate initial response”.

Corrections refused to provide timeframes relating to its initial response or details of what medical resources were available at the time.

A spokesperson rejected claims the man’s body was left in view of other prisoners, saying his “dignity was maintained” through privacy screens and multiple staff remained with him at all times.

He was not moved until police attended, as was the “standard policy”.

The inmate said anger was expressed during a meeting with the prison chaplain, residential manager and a kaumatua on Monday.

Anesi said men in the unit and staff were being provided with support, including access to cultural support where requested and a karakia with wai (water) and rakau (plant medicine) being held to clear the area.

“Prisoners who were involved were all interviewed and had an at-risk assessment completed.”

He acknowledged the event was “extremely distressing” and that death could prompt a range of emotions.

“We are carrying out an internal review of the incident.”

All deaths in custody are referred to the Coroner for investigation and determination of cause of death.

Because of this, Corrections was limited in the amount of detail it could provide, the spokesperson said.

An investigation by the independent Corrections Inspectorate will also be carried out.