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

improving social skills and skills for employment. It does not mean isolation, idleness and
hostile authority.
Nor does it mean “keeping your head down”, as prisoners are often urged to do, if that
means not drawing attention to yourself and not bothering the staff. Prison officers who
know how to talk to prisoners appropriately can have a profound influence. Constructive
engagement between staff and prisoners can save lives. By contrast, lack of fairness
and respect increases prisoners’ distress.
Much has changed for the better since 1998 in the policies and procedures of
Manchester prison and the Prison Service generally. It is beyond the scope of the inquiry
to say how successfully these changes operate in practice, but there is no doubt that the
Prison Service has shown a strong commitment to learning from past tragedies. It has
invested substantial resources in new strategies for preventing suicide and self-harm.
The current policy seeks to reduce risk by “ensuring all prisoners (whether identified at
risk or not) receive individual support in managing any problems”. Among the goals of
the policy is “reduction in distress and improved quality of life for all who live and work in
prisons”. From the evidence to this inquiry, that was not the ethos in significant parts of
Manchester prison in 1998.
What is the benefit of an inquiry of this kind, over a decade after Mr Lodge’s death? I am
conscious of the costs, the time and energy diverted from present services, and the
emotional demands placed upon everyone who had some personal involvement.
Counsel for the family told the inquiry their aims were uncovering the truth, securing
accountability for Mr Lodge’s death, and preventing future tragedies where possible.
Through Sonny Lodge’s letters, and the evidence of those the inquiry spoke to, we have
seen something of what it felt like for a troubled young man to be a prisoner at
Manchester in 1998. We have learned how the face he put on for people he did not
know or trust did not tell the whole story, how he responded differently to people
according to how they treated him, and how casual mistreatment – by systems or people
– can breed despair.
Looking back over more than ten years, I must not present a sentimental view of Sonny
Lodge because of the tragic manner of his death. But recounting his personal
experience shows – if it were not already clear – that the basis of decent prisons is the
principle that prisoners are complex individuals who deserve to be treated with humanity
and respect.
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