Adebayor's started so well for Man City
Put in jail with severe psychiatric problems
Petra Blanksby died on 24 November 2003, following an incident at New Hall prison on 19 November when she was found in her cell having tied a ligature around her neck. She was 19 years old.
She left behind an 18 month old son who she had given up to foster parents. She had spent years self-harming, and had made repeated suicide attempts. In what her team at her inquest called a "cry for help" she set fire to her mattress at home. Instead of receiving psychiatric care - she was charged with arson and sent to prison. Despite being on suicide watch - she tied a ligature around her neck and strangled herself.
Petra had been taken into care aged 9, and started to self-harm. She was moved to a children's home - and became pregnant by a teenage boy at the home - and was moved to a half-way house for young mothers. In 2002 she suffered a breakdown - and was sectioned. She was judged to have "borderline personality disorder" and was treated as an out-patient.
While outside she cut her wrists by smashing her hands through the window of her flat - and tried to gas herself. The Derbyshire County Council psychiatric team didn't reassess her mental state. 3 hours later she set fire to her mattress. She was then charged with arson - and remanded in custody at New Hall prison.
Over the 130 days she waited in New Hall to come to trial - she self-harmed 90 times.
The coroner said that prison was absolutely the wrong place for Petra to be.
But having read all of the above it seems obvious doesn't it?
On Tuesday's programme we'll talk to Petra's father and twin sister.
We are shoving the Mentally-ill into Prisons. In previous years we had special places where they could be treated properly. Even today many Mentally-deficient People are distributed throughout the Community. THIS is not what they NEED...
THIS WILL NOT 'send' - YET AGAIN...
Many prisoners need mental help as punishment alone is not even understood by them. We need to make mental health like phsyical health as many people suffer poorly with both and both are completely linked to diet, genes and lifestyle.
We need more help for the mentally ill in society both preventative and after a crime is commited.