The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, who investigates deaths and
complaints in prisons, echoed the findings of the Chief Inspector
of Prisons’ report of an inspection at HMP Nottingham.
The Acting PPO, Elizabeth Moody, said: “It is highly troubling
that HMP Nottingham has a history of failing to implement
recommendations from our investigations into deaths at the
prison”.
The PPO makes recommendations following investigations into
deaths in prisons so that the prison service can learn from
mistakes and prevent them being made in the future. Final
PPO reports on deaths investigations are not published until the
end of inquests but important findings and recommendations that
could lead to greater safety in a prison are shared with the
prison and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) as they
emerge.
Elizabeth Moody added: “It is a matter of great concern that we
found some similarities, not only between the deaths of the five
prisoners who took their own lives last autumn, but also with
deaths which happened earlier in the year and before. The
Chief Inspector is right to highlight the apparent inability of
the prison to learn lessons and I agree that until it can
demonstrate progress in this critical area the risk of future
deaths will remain high.”
She also said: “Complaints from prisoners frequently indicate
poor custodial care. I am troubled that my office upheld
proportionately more complaints from prisoners at HMP Nottingham,
than in other similar prisons. This is consistent with the
findings of the Chief Inspector and should be a source of concern
to the management of HMPPS.”
The Chief Inspector, Peter Clarke, wrote publicly to on 18 January, invoking a new
procedure to demand urgent action on HMP Nottingham from the
Justice Secretary. He raised concerns over eight apparent
self-inflicted deaths at HMP Nottingham in the two years up to
January 2018, as well as high levels of self-harm.
At the same time, Elizabeth Moody raised key concerns with the
Ministry of Justice which had been identified in her
investigations into recent deaths at the prison:
- The
importance of initial identification in prisoners of risk of
suicide or self-harm.
- Assessment
and management of those individuals, particularly applying
multi-disciplinary assessment rather than relying on the way the
prisoner presents and talks on arrival in the jail.
- Referring
mental health concerns and issues to healthcare or other experts.
- The
importance of staff responding, in line with HMIP expectations,
when prisoners press their cell call bells and of staff entering
cells promptly when prisoners are found unresponsive.
- Keeping
proper medical records.
- Effective
emergency response.
Elizabeth Moody said: “HMPPS is preparing an Action Plan to
address the urgent concerns raised by the Chief Inspector,
particularly in relation to suicide and self-harm at HMP
Nottingham. It is vital that, this time, HMPSS fully incorporates
PPO recommendations into the Action Plan. That will help HMP
Nottingham create a new culture of safety and protection for
vulnerable prisoners. Put simply, it will help save lives and
prevent a repetition of the tragedies we saw in 2017.”
Notes to editors:
- The Prisons
and Probation Ombudsman is part of the regulatory framework for
prisons,
alongside HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Independent Monitoring
Boards.
