The night my baby died as I gave birth in prison

A woman has told how her baby died during childbirth “due to errors” made after she went into labour in prison.

Louise Powell, 31, said she begged for an ambulance before her baby, Brooke, died in a cell at HMP Styal in 2020.

The Prison Ombudsman is reviewing the death and is also due to publish its findings on another baby’s death at HMP Bronzefield in Middlesex in 2019.

The Prison Service said it had already “made significant improvements to support female offenders”.

Ms Powell said she did not know she was pregnant when Brooke was delivered prematurely between 30 and 32 weeks, weighing 2.5lbs (1.1kg), but told BBC Newsnight her daughter’s death could have been avoided “if [her condition] was taken seriously enough”.

“Brooke was let down by the people who were meant to look after us,” she said.

Ms Powell, who was sentenced to eight months in March 2020 after admitting common assault, racially-aggravated harassment and criminal damage, said it was her first time in jail and she “wasn’t in a very good place” after a relationship breakdown.

On her first day at HMP Styal, she told staff there was “no chance” she was pregnant.

However, her lawyer Jane Ryan said prison staff were aware she had not had a period for four to five months and never followed it up.

At about 17:00 BST on 18 June, Ms Powell said she started feeling “extreme” pain.

She said her cellmate told staff she was bleeding and had severe cramps and had not had a period in months.

A female prison officer then told her she looked six months pregnant, she said.

Ms Powell said she “still didn’t have a clue… but I felt like I was dying”, adding that the officer “left me in the cell”.

BBC Newsnight understands the prison officer contacted the on-site health care team about Ms Powell’s condition and raised concerns about pregnancy, but it is claimed no medical professional went to see her. BBC