‘Mum was ill, not bad’: family call for reform of England’s justice system after prison suicide

Exclusive: family say case of Kay Melhuish is stark reminder of the dangers of criminalising vulnerable women

The daughter of a vulnerable woman who took her own life in prison after being left without clean underwear for 10 days and denied phone calls with loved ones has called for urgent reform of England’s justice system.

A jury at Avon coroner’s court concluded last week that Eastwood Park prison in Gloucestershire failed to provide for Kay Melhuish’s “basic human needs” and that neglect contributed to her death in July 2022 after “gross failings” in her care.