The family of a man in a coma after a suspected drug overdose inside a West Australian jail say authorities failed to notify them promptly and are questioning a decision to shackle him in his hospital bed.
The 33-year-old-man, who the ABC is not identifying for privacy reasons, required urgent medical attention while in Albany Regional Prison on Monday.
His family told the ABC he was serving a sentence for burglary.
He was flown to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and taken to Rockingham Hospital where he remains in a coma.
His family said he was shackled to the bed, despite being in a coma.
The man's family have questioned why he remains shackled to his bed, despite being in a coma. (Supplied: Mervyn Eades)
Mervyn Eades, the man's uncle, said the security measures were "disturbing".
"He's in a coma, he's going nowhere," he said.
"He's got chains around his legs, around his ankles."
'Really emotional' for family
The man's mother, Leanne Eades, said she received a call from an officer at Casuarina Prison the morning after the suspected overdose occurred.
“I was really emotional," she said.
"I thought my son was in Albany Regional Prison but he was in ICU in Rockingham."
The man's daughter, Iaeshia Dean-Eades, said it had been difficult to see her father in a coma.
"Dad calls me, all of us every day," she said.
"One day we don't get a call and the next day we know he's in ICU. We should have known [on the] day."
The man's mother Leanne and daughter Iaeshia are anxiously awaiting any change to his condition. (ABC News: Daryna Zadvirna)
Suspected overdose in prison
Mr Eades said the family was able to piece together more of the details once they arrived at the hospital.
"Little bits and pieces started coming out," he said,
"One of the things that came out that was really disturbing was that they nearly lost him on the flight."
The family said doctors told them he had likely suffered an overdose.
"[His] condition was from something synthetic that he had taken down in Albany Regional Prison, apparently," Mr Eades said.
"It's sickening that this illicit stuff can still get into the prisons."
Mervyn Eades says there is no excuse for Corrective Services' failure to promptly notify the family. (ABC News: Daryna Zadvirna)
A spokesperson for Western Australia's Department of Justice declined to comment, citing the confidentiality of prisoners' personal and medical information.
A spokesperson for Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia said it would be inappropriate to comment on operational matters.
The man's family has raised significant concerns about his treatment. (Supplied: Mervyn Eades)
Calls to notify family immediately
Mr Eades is also the former chair of the First Nations Death in Custody Watch Committee.
He said he knew of other incidences where next of kin had not been notified promptly of emergency health treatment.
"It really hits home, because it's happened to us as well," he said.
"To make that decision not to call family immediately, I totally don't agree with that.
"I think it's a massive flaw and we're looking at taking legal action because it's happened so many times before."
The man was in custody at Albany Regional Prison when he suffered a suspected drug overdose. (ABC Great Southern: Tom Edwards)
Mr Eades said he wanted to see all families notified immediately if emergency healthcare was required.
"What is needed to be done for them to take notice that next of kin and family?" he asked.
"And that's all families — black, white and brown.
"[These people] don't belong to the institutions, they belong to the families."
Publicly available Commissioner's Operating Policy and Procedure documents state that a prisoner's next of kin should be notified of a medical emergency or transfer to a hospital.
The documents state it is at the superintendent's discretion to "immediately notify the next of kin" or "wait until the following day if the occurrence happens at night".
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