Annual Report 2004 - Inquest

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18 Pauline Campbell and others protest about women’s deaths in prison. Picture: Manchester Evening News Deaths Of Women In Prison 2004 August ● Issue press release following the death of 14- year-old Adam Rickwood, the youngest person to die in penal custody and respond to significant media interest ● Meet with Nigel Hancock from the Safer Custody Group to raise ongoing concerns about deaths in prison Non-Self-Inflicted 8 Self-Inflicted 13 of Joseph Scholes and Gareth Myatt. The families laid flowers in memory of Anthony and released 27 balloons representing each child who had died in custody since 1990. The vigil received good press coverage and provided an opportunity for families to meet each other. Deaths of Women in Prison In April we started a two-year research project on the deaths of women in prison which coincided with a record 14 self-inflicted deaths of women in 2003 and continuing high numbers of deaths in 2004 when 13 women took their own lives. Women account for only 6% of the average daily prison population and yet made up 14% of the self-inflicted
19 deaths in prison in 2004. Because of our concern about the number of deaths and the start of the project we were proactive in ensuring that our information reached those families that needed it and we have sent letters accompanying Information Packs via the prison service and coroner’s courts. As a direct result 17 of those families have contacted us and we are now working with them. Some of them are families of women who died in 2003 who had not previously been made aware by official sources of INQUEST’s service. The Inquest System Narrative verdicts INQUEST is monitoring all narrative verdicts returned at inquests following the Middleton case mentioned earlier in the report. This is an extremely useful resource for lawyers and others as there is no central official collation and monitoring of such verdicts. Many lawyers are unaware of the significance of the judgment and how it is being applied at inquests and the important contribution it can make in highlighting individual and systemic failings. This is an evolving area of inquest law and our monitoring of the verdicts should reveal its impact. Below are two examples of cases where narrative verdicts were returned. Anna Baker Anna Baker was the second of six women to die in a 12- month period at HMP Styal. Anna died in November 2002 and the inquest into her death took place in November 2004. Anna was on remand and was recognised as being at risk from suicide and self-harm. Anna was withdrawing from drugs. The day before her death she was moved from her shared cell to a single cell. The jury’s critical narrative verdict found the initial admission assessment into the prison was inadequate in light of Anna’s vulnerability and that there appeared to be a total lack of awareness and staff training in the management of her being at risk of suicide and self-harm. John Hinde Greater Manchester Police approached John Hinde’s vehicle which they had seen driving erratically and stop on a slip road of the M6 in Lancashire. During a struggle in which John was restrained in the prone position he lost consciousness. The officers were aware that John had concealed a package they believed to be illicit drugs in his mouth. The inquest heard evidence that the arresting officers, despite knowing that he was unconscious and in possible danger from the package in his mouth, failed to provide adequate first aid. The jury returned a critical narrative verdict highlighting concerns about the police officers’ treatment of John and in particular about the inadequacy of their first aid training and implementation of their own procedures.
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Annual Report 2004 - Inquest

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