Sarah Reed's Mother Has Spoken to the Press for the First Time Since Her Daughter's Death in Prison

When news emerged that 32-year-old Sarah Reed had died in her cell in HM Holloway Prison in London, depressingly familiar questions were raised about the treatment of prisoners with mental health problems, as well as the institutionalised racism faced by black people. Within days, a vigil had been held for Sarah outside the prison, with the crowd demanding to know why she was allowed to die while incarcerated at Her Majesty's pleasure.

On Wednesday, Sarah's mother Marylin Reed spoke out for the first time, in an interview for the Guardian. She tells of a "collective failure" by prison officers, doctors, social workers and lawyers.

Sarah's death marked the end of a long struggle for with mental health problems and police and prison system that repeatedly failed her. In 2014 she was the victim of a police brutality – CCTV footage emerged of Sarah being viciously beaten up whilst in the custody of PC James Kiddie, who arrested her on suspicion of shoplifting. PC James Kiddie was later found guilty of assault and suspended.

"[Sarah] kept writing to me and other family members saying, 'Please help me to get out of here; I shouldn't be in here; I'm not being treated," Marylin Reed told the Guardian. "Her priority in every letter was: 'I need my medication.'"

Sarah had a history of mental ill-health – the death of her nine-month-old daughter in 2003 hit her hard. Despite this, Marylin remembers a prison guard asking her: "Have you got any idea what's wrong with her?", which suggests a shocking ignorance of the situation.

Marylin says her attempts to help Sarah were "ignored by many, especially building up to the time of her dying".

The interview, which is as vital as it is harrowing, sheds further light on some of the urgent issues raised by Sarah Reed's death, as well as demanding more answers.

You can read the full Guardian interview here.

Previously on VICE:

#sayhername: Photos from the Vigil For Sarah Reed at HM Holloway Prison

Sarah Reed's Death in Custody Shows How Britain Treat Vulnerable Black Prisoners