Latest news with #PrisonsAndProbationOmbudsman
BBC News
22-07-2025
- BBC News
Watchdog finds no fault after Whitehaven prisoner suicide
A prison watchdog has said it was "difficult" to see how the care and management of an inmate who died by suicide could have been different. Stephen Hodgson, from Whitehaven in Cumbria, was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2020 for the attempted rape of a 17-year-old in 26-year-old died in his cell at HMP Full Sutton near York on 3 February 2023. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, which investigated Hodgson's death, offered its condolences to his friends and family. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been approached for comment. Hodgson, who was housed in the site's segregation unit, was described as a "challenging prisoner" by the watchdog in a report published last week. It said the inmate had also been sentenced to life in prison after wounding another inmate at HMP Wymott in Lancashire. Hodgson was moved to HMP Full Sutton in September 2022. Under observation The watchdog said Hodgson had a history of poor mental health and personality disorders. It said he was seen daily by mental health nurses and was prescribed antipsychotic and antidepressant medicines. Hodgson assaulted both staff and prisoners, used threatening and abusive language and frequently self-harmed, the report said. The day before his death, Hodgson had headbutted an officer in the face. Staff were told they would then only be able to unlock the inmate's door if four officers in PPE were was observed by staff every hour that night who did not report any concerns, the watchdog the morning of his death, Hodgson had self-harmed. A supervising officer decided the prisoner should continue to be checked on by staff every was declared dead a few hours later following a suicide attempt, the watchdog said it believed it was appropriate to keep Hodgson in a segregation unit and that it "did not appear" to negatively impact his mental state. It also said there was "no indication" that his risk of suicide had increased on the day of his death or that he was in crisis. If you have been affected by this report, you can find further support via the BBC Action Line. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- The Independent
Prison staff fake checks on suicidal inmates as deaths soar, watchdog warns
A prisons watchdog has warned of the 'widespread falsification' of records claiming checks on suicidal inmates have been carried out. A report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) Adrian Usher found evidence that prison staff had lied over mandatory welfare checks for prisoners at risk of self-harm. It comes as prisoner deaths have soared by 35 per cent year on year, with 486 deaths investigated by the ombudsman in 2024/2025, 100 of which were self-inflicted. This includes 393 deaths in prison, up 106 compared to the previous year, and 73 deaths within 14 days of being released from custody. There was also a 15 per cent increase in complaints from prisoners as widespread overcrowding puts the system 'under strain', the report found. 'I am concerned about the rise in complaints and deaths we have seen, and we are working closely with the services in remit to understand what the causes may be,' Mr Usher said. The ombudsman's report noted the prison population is getting older thanks to longer prison sentences and a significant rise in historic sexual offence convictions. The report also identified systemic issues around falsified records, particularly relating to at-risk prisoners subject to Assessment, Care in Custody, and Teamwork (ACCT) monitoring. It comes after checks of prison CCTV proved prison staff had lied about carrying out welfare checks on a prisoner who died. 'This year, we have been disappointed to identify widespread falsification of records by staff, particularly relating to ACCT checks (intended to provide support to and monitoring of prisoners considered at risk of suicide and self-harm) and routine checks which also serve as an opportunity to check on prisoners' welfare,' the report said. 'In one case, a review of CCTV on the wing where the prisoner died identified that staff had falsified his ACCT document, recording that they had conducted checks when they had not.' As a result, the ombudsman recommended that staff who have been found to falsify records face disciplinary action. The Prison Reform Trust said the findings were 'shocking and unacceptable' as they called for urgent reform. 'The findings of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's Annual Report are deeply troubling and highlight the urgent need for reform in our prison system,' chief executive Pia Sinha said. 'The 35 per cent increase in investigations following a death, particularly among older prisoners, is a stark reminder of the human cost of overcrowded prisons and systemic failings. 'The identification of widespread falsification of records, especially in monitoring prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm, is shocking and unacceptable. It underscores the need to support staff with proper training and resources, but also to hold them accountable when standards are breached.' The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to to find a helpline near you
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Hull Prison told to better care for terminally ill inmates
Hull Prison has been told to improve care for terminally ill inmates, following the death of a prisoner with lung Prisons and Probation Ombudsman raised concerns over the use of restraints during medical treatment and the equipment available inside the prison for palliative care. John Leadbitter, 62, received end of life treatment that was "partially equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community", the watchdog's report Hull has put an action plan in place to address the recommendations. 'Medical objections' The watchdog recommended training staff in the national medical guidelines "Dying Well in Custody Charter".Other improvements included training staff in the use of restraints when taking prisoners to hospital and that risk assessments by prison managers and the decision to use handcuffs should be based on "the actual risk the prisoner poses at the time".The report said that while being taken to hospital he was placed in restraints "despite medical objections" adding, "there was no indication he posed a risk".In addition, the inspector said that some of the paperwork around the decision to use restraints was report also called for the Category B prison's healthcare department to be equipped with syringe pumps to deliver pain relief Leadbitter died in prison on 31 January 2024 of natural causes, Hull Coroners' Court was on remand facing charges of starting a fire at a doctor's surgery in the North Yorkshire village of Ampleforth in August Hull had trained staff to deliver end of life care as part of an action plan put in place to address the recommendations. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Click here, to download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and here, to download the BBC News app from Google Play for Android devices.
