AN INMATE at Bandyup Women’s Prison delivered a baby alone in her locked cell while crying out in pain.

The birth, last month, has sparked a review of procedures at the prison, which is at the centre of another storm.

The Sunday Times last weekend revealed a distressed and mentally unwell inmate was transported naked and handcuffed in the back of a van to Graylands Hospital.

On Friday, the Department of Justice described the “unexpected birth” as an “extremely rare occurrence”.

“The inmate gave birth very quickly after it was made clear she was going into labour,” a spokesman said. “Staff acted as soon as they could to manage the unexpected birth.”

The woman, who was 36 weeks pregnant, pressed an alarm in her cell and told officers she needed help. But medical staff didn’t get to her in time. It was in the early evening and there was a delay in getting the cell unlocked.

The independent Inspector of Custodial Services, Neil Morgan, said he had put a series of questions to the department about it.

“It's true she gave birth quickly. But there are questions around why she gave birth in a cell, alone and without medical assistance, even though she'd requested help,” Professor Morgan said.

“This created obvious risks for both mother and baby. And although she managed the birth, it would have been very traumatic.

“The department has initiated an inquiry into what happened and I’ve asked a range of questions about the woman's care, treatment and support before, during and after the birth. This includes any delays there may have been in providing treatment and accessing the cell.

“I want to be assured this won't happen again, and that all medical emergencies are promptly and properly responded to.”

The department told The Sunday Times it would “ascertain what improvements may need to be made to procedures”.

“Pregnant women are medically assessed when received into custody and provided with ongoing pre-natal care and support that is commensurate with health standards in the wider community,” the spokesman said.

“While this review is under way further comment cannot be provided.”

The Sunday Times understands the mother and baby are both OK.

The newspaper this week queried why the department was still probing the Graylands Hospital transfer seven months after it occurred last August.

“The incident is subject to a multi-disciplinary review process, which includes other agencies and is being conducted thoroughly,” the spokesman said.

The department said it had apologised to the inmate’s family.

“Members of the department’s senior leadership team met with the family shortly after the incident to sincerely apologise for what had occurred and to commit to an investigation,” the spokesman said.

“Two members of this team also accompanied the family on a visit to see the offender at (Graylands Hospital’s) Frankland Centre.”

The 20-year-old woman has since been released and is back with her grandmother, who has cared for her since she was 10, when her mum died.

The grandmother said she was appalled when told what had happened. “I spoke to one of the doctors at Frankland and even they were shocked (that she was naked),” she said.

“They had a big sheet to wrap around her when she got there. She had been menstruating and she asked to go straight into the shower and she just sat in the shower for one hour. The doctor said she was very traumatised.

“Bandyup failed in their duty of care. What were their psych nurses doing?”

Bandyup has a crisis care unit which, according to the department, is staffed seven days a week by mental health specialists.

Professor Morgan has launched a wider review of prisoner transportation to mental health facilities, which is due for completion in June.

Greens MLC Alison Xamon raised the issue in Parliament this week.

“It is vital that changes are made immediately and not at the end of a lengthy investigation process, to ensure no one else is transported in such a degrading manner,” she told the newspaper.

Carol Bahemia of the Bandyup Action Group last night said mental health services at Bandyup had not improved despite a promise by the Barnett Government three years ago to raise standards of care following a scathing report by the Inspector of Custodial Services.

She said her group was formed to make sure the report was “actioned and did not sit on a shelf”.

“Prisons are the largest mental health facility in the state - 30% of women in prison have a major mental health illness,” Ms Bahemia said.

The incidents have amplified calls for prison health services to be managed by the Department of Health instead of the Department of Justice. WA is the only Australian jurisdiction where this happens.

The two departments and the Mental Health Commission have established a Justice Health Project to examine issues and consider the “potential transfer of the responsibility for the management and commissioning of custodial health services to the WA health system”.

WA prisoners currently have no access to Medicare services. Health costs while in jail are funded by the State Government.

The AMA has called for change saying: “The loss of Medicare and PBS entitlements ... serves to exacerbate the cycle of ill-health experienced by prisoners and detainees as they move between prison and the community.”

Minister for Disability Services Stephen Dawson last year told Parliament: “The McGowan Government is committed to lobbying the Federal Government to provide all health services to prisoners.”