A Black Psychiatrist and Sarah Reed. Why do black professional men always fail our black sisters?

#Justice4SarahReed Sarah Reed Urgent Update. Weds 12th July Day 8. 

This is bound to be controversial but personally after what I have seen at the Inquest of Sarah Reed so far, I don’t give a damn I'll see anybody in court.

Let me show how deep institutional racism works in the criminal justice system in the UK.

Sarah Reed was on remand for four months for an alleged assault. She had been on a mental health ward and was molested by an elderly white patient, defended herself and was arrested for assault.

In the days and weeks before her death on January 11th 2015, a white male Deputy Prison Governor concluded that Sarah Reed was psychotic and needed to be removed from Holloway jail segregation unit and taken to hospital.

Dr. Darren Van Bull. Psychiatrist. 

This young black dreadlocks man is Dr Darren Bull. He is a Psychiatrist at Holloway. He sat in on the same meeting as the Deputy Prison Governor. Both were at the same mental health review of Sarah's treatment.

The Deputy Governor was clear and forceful in his view, when he gave evidence at Sarah's Inquest. His professional view was that Sarah was clearly psychotic and needed to be removed from prison asap.  He gave his testimony with clarity and strength.

A note of this review meeting was produced after forensic investigation of the files.

Dr Bull also gave evidence at Sarah's inquest. He stated that in his professional opinion, not only was Sarah not psychotic, but her anti psychotic meds should be reduced, as he suspected she may have been smoking Spice which he says mimics the symptoms of psychosis. He then began to order the reduction of he her anti psychotic meds.

First, how do you get Spice into a prison segregation unit when Sarah was in her cell, 24/7 not allowed even a shower, and on four man unlock with no visitors? Who brought it in, prison officers?

Second, Sarah toxicology report showed she had no illicit drugs in her blood, none.

The result of reducing Sarah's meds was that she becomes viciously tormented in that cell by her own demons. She begged, and begged, to be given her meds back. She was ignored.

We heard at the Inquest how Sarah was consumed by visions, 

She never slept day after day, night after night, she is recorded as having sat on her bunk., rocking back and forth staring at the wall, endlessly repeating a religious chant, begging Christ to release her.

So this house negro is advanced a Spice theory hoping this bullshit will stick with the aim of obscuring his rank in competence, mendacity and complicity with Sarah's death.

Stuck in that cell, 24 hours a day, no medication and plagued by horrendous psychotic hallucinations.

Dr Bulls written report failed to reflect or even account for the Deputy Governors concerns, when asked why his report was the polar opposite of what was actually discussed, he stammered, stumbled and choked and could not provide an adequate explanation or answer.

His report concluded that Sarah was emotionally disturbed but other wise fine, definitely not psychotic and could therefor remain in Holloway segregation unit. Had he concluded differently Sarah would be alive today.

We can shout racism all we like, but this brother came to an Inquest and lied to protect the system, while a white man came and told the truth. Are you feeling this family?

I have never been so ashamed of black men, as I sat there yesterday (11th July 2017) and watched this fool explain how he co signed Sarah's death warrant. The man was arrogant and cocky until he was confronted with the evidence of the Deputy comments, which thank goodness he was not aware of this when he took the stand.

When the inconsistency was raised he crumbled and said that the words were as far as he could recall was best recollection at the time.

Truth is, its obvious he lied. Because this is an Inquest and not a criminal trial, the normal rules of criminal prosecution don't apply and after this fool lied and conspired to obscure the truth, the Coroner refusing to let him be pressed any more, let him leave the stand.

I am viscerally affected, mortified and heart broken and I thought about this  long and hard and I cannot simply let this pass and neither should you.

This man should be treated like the pariah he is. We know his type and we know they will do anything for the white mans shilling. This one was an eager beaver though.. he tried to play smart and got caught out. He may have walked away form the Inquest but let him become a pariah.

He has the blood of Sarah Reed on his hands.

These are the black men who make me weep, wearing his dreadlocks like a cultural badge of honour, worn simply to impress his white upper middle class colleges with his trendy deadlocked multiculturalism. All the while selling out the community under his care.

More too come, but let’s ensure that the everyone knows who Dr Bull is and what he's done. 

https://www.facebook.com/DrDBull/

Sarah Reed Campaign: Time To ReformMental Health Legislation

Justice 4 Sarah Reed Campaign: 

A Call For Change.

Time To Reform

Mental Health Legislation

Sarah Reed, a 32-year-old black woman, mother, daughter and aunt died in deeply suspicious circumstances in London’s Holloway Prison on 11th January 2016. As a black woman, Sarah Reed faced institutionalised racism, sexism and mental health stigma, this intersectionality, doubled down the horrendous discrimination she faced.

Sarah left behind one surviving daughter, and her mother and brother and extended family members. Sarah suffered mental ill health after the tragic death of her first-born baby after a period of illness.

Sarah and her partner were dispatched in a taxi from hospital, with her deceased baby wrapped in a blanket, told to go and find an undertaker. It was this tragic loss of her baby daughter, the unbelievably callous action of the hospital, police racism and brutality that sent her into a descending spiral of mental ill health.

Sarah was to later suffer a brutal assault by Metropolitan Police Service Police Constable James Kiddie who was subsequently charged and found guilty of assaulting Sarah and was eventually sacked.

Sarah then spent time in and out of hospital suffering as a result of the police assault. Whilst in hospital Sarah alleges she was a victim of a sexual assault by a member of the hospital staff. The Metropolitan Police were called and bizarrely she was arrested, not the offender and taken to Brixton Police station.

What then transpired was long periods of police and prison detention without Sarah being given her prescribed medications. At the time of her death in prison, Sarah had not been given her prescribed medication for some time, despite it being known that she suffered from a recognised mental condition. It’s reported that Prison staff were punishing Sarah behavior instead of treating her obvious condition.

As a result the new social movement Blaksox at the request of the family, established Justice 4 Sarah Reed Campaign to highlight the acute failures of the all those many institutions, who came into contact with Sarah. Organisations, such as the Metropolitan Police, Maudsley Hospital, Holloway Women’s Prison, Highpoint House Memorial Hospital, and the now closed Richard House Children’s Hospice run by Newham Health Authority.

We believe that no mentally ill person should be kept in a police or prison cell. Current mental health law deems police and prison cells as ‘places of safety’ for those suffering mental ill health.

We welcome the new guidelines issues to the police on the handling suspects suffering mental ill health, however we say that there are few if any circumstances in which the lengthy detention of those with mental ill health in police or prison custody is neither humane nor justified.

The Justice 4 Sarah Reed Campaign believes that both police stations and prisons should be removed from UK mental health legislation as appropriate an ‘place of safety’.

Existing Legislation

The Mental Health Act 1983 (“the 1983 Act”) provides for the statutory detention of people suffering from mental ill health, without their consent for the stated purpose of public safety health assessment, care and treatment.

The powers conferred on the Police to remove people if they are in private property (under Section 135) and in a public place (under Section 136), and appear to be suffering from a mental disorder, allow them to be taken to a ‘place of safety’ (for example, a hospital, a care home or a police station), to enable a mental health assessment to be carried out and to make appropriate arrangements for ongoing care if this is deemed necessary.

However neither police stations nor most prisons are adequately trained or geared up to manage and treat with care and compassion, those suffering mental health crises. Sarah case exemplifies the acute failures of the criminal justice system in treating those with mental ill health.

Reform of Section 135 and Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983

In 2014 a joint Review of Section 135 and Section 136 by the Department of Health and Home Office, included recommendations for changes to improve the experiences of those suffering from mental health crisis.

The Government has also committed up to £15 million to improve the provision of community and health based places of safety in 2016 - 2017, and further to reduce the use of police cells.

However, we say that these changes do not go far enough and that Police stations and prisons must be removed as lawfully designated ‘places of safety’.

Mental health measures in the Governments proposed Police and Crime Bill are currently being discussed in parliament.

Whilst we welcome currently proposed parliamentary changes to legislation, however we believe that much more needs to be done.

The current facts are that Police station cells are still being used far too regularly to detain those suffering mental health crisis, although there was a slight reduction from 6, 667 in 2013/14 to 4, 537 in 2014/15.

There is emerging cross party consensus that no one, suffering mental ill health, under the age of 18, should be taken to a police cell. However we remain concerned that an acute shortage of beds in secure mental health hospitals will mean that maintaining current reductions will be increasingly difficulty and that as a result further reductions will be difficult to achieve.

There also widespread concerns about the length of time for which people can be detained, and it is proposed in the new legislation that legal detention is to reduced from 72 hours to 24 hours.

We are in touch with other agencies such as MIND and Inquest who are lobbying parliament with a view to effect a change in the Policing and Crime Bill.

This is Bill makes provision for the collaboration of emergency services and seeks to amend the existing powers of Police under the Mental Health Act 1983.

We support Mind’s proposed amendments to detention arrangement relating to both Section 135 and Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Including;

• Use of police stations being removed for those under 18, and used only in exceptional circumstances in the case of adults
• The adoption of a wider definition of “places of safety” to include the third sector (even if only on a temporary basis), to extend local capacity to meet local need
• That the police can act promptly without a need for a warrant to protect property and individuals from harm when they are in a public place, but a warrant would still be required for access to private dwellings
• To reduce the maximum period for which a person can be detained (as mentioned above) from 72 hours to 24 hours (with an extension to 36 hours exceptionally)
• Before detaining a person under section 136 the police should consult (where practicable) a health professional.,
• If appropriate, mental health assessments should take place in a private home
• If Police Officers have reasonable grounds for believing that a person has a dangerous item concealed on them and presents a danger to themselves and others then the police officers can search that person.

Why this reform needs to happen.

We believe that police cells should never be used as a place of safety and would support Baroness Walmsley’s Lords amendment to clause 79 of the Policing and Crime Bill that is now at Committee Stage in the House of Lords.

In 2015 - 2016 in England and Wales, 28,271 adults were picked up by police in mental health crisis.

Most were taken to a health-based place of safety, 2,100 were held in police cells for mental health assessment because there was no more suitable place of safety available.

There has been a huge reduction in these numbers amounting to 53.7 % reduction in 2014 - 2015 whilst this is very much welcomed, much more needs to be done.

Sarah Reed’s recorded medical failures in Holloway Prison and prisoner officer abuse in a series of telephone calls, and in letters to her Mum,

“Mum, I shouldn’t be here. I have not been given my medication…”

The Committee stage of this Bill in the House of Lords will be on 26th October 2016.

Join the Justice 4 Sarah Reed Campaign. Lobby Parliament.

We would urge you to:

1. Lobby your Members of Parliament and the House of Lords to support Minds proposed amendment.

2. Join the Justice 4 Sarah Reed Campaign and its supporters in demanding effecting change and justice for Sarah Reed’s daughter and her family, and for the many families of other individuals who have either died in police custody or in a prison.

SARAH REED JUSTICE CAMPAIGN UPDATE.

   

SARAH REED JUSTICE CAMPAIGN UPDATE.

On February 23rd the Blaksox led Sarah Reed Justice Campaign (SRJC) with the Reed family’s support, organised a peaceful protest outside of Holloway prison in London.

It was to show solidarity with prisoners who know what happened before Sarah Reed ‘s tragic death on January 11^thwhilst she was being held there on remand.

Blaksox had been informed that prisoners’ rights were not being respected, protected or promoted to give evidence to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman set up to investigate all deaths in custody.  

The protest was attended by 120 people and was addressed by Marilyn Reed, Sarah’s mother who said,

“Thanks to everybody for showing solidarity and support by coming here tonight. Women in this prison are being harassed. We say, enough is enough. We say to the women inside this prison, we are with you, we are with your families and loved ones.  Disclose what is going on inside this prison and what happened to my daughter.  We are with you.”

Other protesters who made their contribution included young women from Sisters Uncut, Amrit Wilson, the long standing Gender and Race writer and activist and Lee Jasper, whose blog first broke Sarah Reed’s story to the world.

Temi Mwale one of the leading Blak sox members said

“We know we are in it for the long run.  We know that there are too many authorities to hold to account.  We are going to need mass mobilisation of the public to say No it is not OK for Black women to be treated in this way.  That Black lives do matter and that the lives of women in custody do matter. “

Patricia Lamour Chair of the SRJC and co-founder of GEEDA an international women’s network, wrote asking for a paradigm shift in how Black women are treated.

“We believe much of what has happened to Sarah in her short life and untimely death is down to the fact that she was a woman and she was Black. Mental institutions need to safeguard all women from sexual violence and no mentally ill woman should be put in prison”

At the end of the protest, Blaksox delivered a series of letters to Julia Killick, the Governor of Holloway Prison, Nigel Newcomen, HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Shami Chakrabarti, the Director of Liberty.

If you know of any prisoners in Holloway who want to give evidence or want to support the SRJC please contact

NB. ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter Bloc On the National Demo; Refugees Welcome Here - Stand Up To Racism Organised by Blaksox Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK, and the NUS Black Students Campaign .

Deaths at the hands of the State including the catalogue of failures by public authorities experienced by ‪#‎sarahreed ‪#‎sayhername , institutional racism, race discrimination in education and employment, the disproportionate impact of austerity and much more are all contributing to deepening racism faced by Black Workers, Students, Service Users and Communities.

Join the Black Lives Matter Bloc On the demo, wear red clothing, bring home made placards, whistles, drums.

Meet Sat 19th March 2016 11.30am at the foot of the stairs of All Souls Church, 2 All Souls Place, London, W1B 3DA which is right next to the main assembly point for a march to Trafalgar Square where there is a rally. Speakers at the demo will include Marilyn Reed, mother of Sarah Reed,

info@blaksox.com