Nottingham Prison inmate Shalane Blackwood's death probed

Shalane Blackwood died at Nottingham Prison on Wednesday morning

The death of a prisoner who was found unresponsive in his cell at Nottingham Prison is being investigated.

Shalane Blackwood, from Derby, had been jailed for possession of a firearm and was on a licence recall when he died on Wednesday morning.

Attempts were made to give the 29-year-old CPR but he was pronounced dead by paramedics at 6:52 BST.

The Prison Service said the cause of his death is unknown.

The death is being investigated independently by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO).

A highly-critical government report published in February said Nottingham Prison was not safe enough and conditions were poor.

In response, the National Offender Management Service said a new governor was in post and "rapid improvement" was expected.

Last July, an inmate was taken to hospital after reportedly trying to blind himself.

About a week later, a prison officer's ear was bitten off in an attack at the jail.

Nottingham Prison deaths

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has investigated and published reports on 16 other deaths of Nottingham Prison inmates since 2004.

Of these, six of the deaths were found to be "self-inflicted" and eight were natural causes.

Two of the deaths, in March 2007 and September 2009, were "non-natural". Both of these men died from heroin and alcohol overdoses shortly after being released from the prison.