HMP Altcourse "apparently altered" its record of whether a prisoner was handcuffed on the way to hospital before he died, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) found. The privately run prison submitted an "apparently altered" risk assessment form with previously blank sections highlighted when questioned about restraint use, offering no explanation for the discrepancy.
Prisoner's death in custody
Vasile Moisa, a 51-year-old Romanian remand prisoner at HMP Altcourse, died of a hypoxic brain injury following a heart attack after collapsing in January. The PPO investigated the circumstances surrounding his death.
While senior prison staff insisted Moisa was never handcuffed, official paperwork referenced cuffs and an "escort chain." A pharmacy technician recalled staff preparing to use restraints during the medical emergency.
Ombudsman's findings
Ombudsman Adrian Usher concluded the evidence points to restraints being used or intended despite Moisa suffering a cardiac arrest. He warned the document alterations may have been an effort to conceal flawed decision-making.
The investigation also highlighted that prison staff failed to provide translation services or assess Moisa's communication needs despite known medical conditions, including diabetes, asthma, and a previous stroke, which impaired his clinical care.
Prison response
Altcourse accepted the ombudsman's findings and completed recommended actions. Moisa's death was ruled natural causes and marked the 17th death at the facility since 2023.
