Report of the Inquiry into the circumstances of the Death of Bernard ...

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Prison culture
The policy states that research evaluating the Safer Locals Programme found
that suicide prevention was most effective when prison culture had the following
characteristics:
“staff felt valued, communication was good, prisoners felt safe and there were
good staff relationships with senior managers, who were approachable and
supportive. In contrast, some prisoners had a ‘traditional’ or negative culture,
where staff relied on overuse of authority, distanced themselves from prisoners,
and expressed distrust between uniformed and specialist staff groups. The
quality of care for prisoners in these prisons was reduced.” (PSO 2700,
paragraph 2.1.1)
Staff-prisoner relationships
Staff are advised that prisoners emphasised the value of having a member of
staff listen to them and take their problems seriously. Interviews with suicidal
prisoners confirmed that staff who took time to help them were appreciated.
Several prisoners who had attempted suicide talked about how they wanted staff
to “talk to them and engage with them, not just to observe them” (PSO 2700,
paragraph 2.2.1).
Change of status prisoners
Reception staff are required to ensure that they talk with prisoners who have had
a change of status. Local procedures must make provision for prisoners who
have had a change of status without leaving the prison to undergo the equivalent
of a ‘reception screen’ to assess risk of suicide or self-harm (PSO 2700,
paragraph 4.8).
Positive regimes and purposeful activity
Positive regimes are defined as:
“…those which enable prisoners to engage in activities which reduce distress and
potentially reduce rates of suicide and self-harm, for example through improving
mood and increasing coping skills and self-esteem. Potentially helpful activities
include work, education, structured programmes, art and exercise.” (PSO 2700,
paragraph 5.1.1)