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Fiona Paterson appeared for Rebecca Smith’s family at the Inquest into her death at HMP Buckley Hall as a result of self suffocation with a plastic bag.
After hearing six days’ of evidence, the Coroner has agreed to write to the Minister of Justice asking that prison service regulations on the allocation and transfer of prisoners within the prison estate in England and Wales are revisited. He will also ask for a national review of emergency radio codes (used in prisons) and that all prison officers are given resuscitation training during their induction.
Ms Smith had a long history of complex mental health problems which had resulted in her making several suicide attempts. Any change to her routine or circumstances could adversely affect her mental health. However, she managed to live in her own home for lengthy periods with the support of her Community Psychiatric Nurse, whom she had known for over fiften years and the local mental health team.
In September 2003 she was remanded in custody at her local prison, HMP Eastwood Park, after setting fire to her sofa during a failed suicide attempt. Her Community Psychiatric Nurse continued to treat her whilst she was in HMP Eastwood Park and she was visited by her family. During her six months at HMP Eastwood Park, Ms Smith spent most of her time in the in-patient Health Care Centre.
After being sentenced, she was transferred (at a day’s notice) to a training prison, HMP Buckley Hall, 200 miles from her home, which had no in-patient facilities. Neither her Community Psychiatric Nurse nor her family were able to visit her. Within six weeks of the transfer she had ended her life despite receiving care from a psychiatrist and psychiatric nursing staff.
The Coroner, Simon Nelson, has agreed to write to the Minister of Justice asking that Prison Service Order 0900 on the Allocation and Transfer of Prisoners is reviewed to ensure that the clinical and social needs of prisoners (and the receiving prison’s capacity to meet those needs) are given greater priority by prison authorities when selecting prisoners for allocation to different prisons.
For press coverage, please see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p005j7vt/Manchester_Now_with_Steve_Saul_17_12_2009/
http://www.rochdaleobserver.co.uk/news/s/1186704_coroner_demands_new_rules
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