A spokesperson for HMP Bedford has said that it accepts all of the Prison Ombudsman’s recommendations following the death of a prisoner in March 2023.
In 2022, Steven Hart was remanded for breaching a restraining order by communicating with his ex-partner and being near her home and was sent to HMP Bedford.
Displaying disturbed and challenging behaviour, and saying that other prisoners were calling him a “nonce”, or paedophile, he was found hanged in his cell on 29 March 2023, aged just 37.
Mr Hart’s mother asked several questions about the treatment of her son while detained at HMP Bedford, and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) made several recommendations for care and response improvements at the prison.
In the report’s introduction, prisons and probation ombudsman Adrian Usher wrote: “Mr Hart had a history of anxiety and paranoia and had been supported several times through prison suicide and self-harm monitoring procedures while at Bedford, including when he died.
Acceptance
“An officer found Mr Hart tying a telephone cord around his neck a few hours before Mr Hart hanged himself.
“The officer took the cord away, but staff did not reassess Mr Hart’s risk to himself or consider increasing the frequency of their checks on him.
“There was also a five-minute delay in staff going into the cell when they could not get a response from Mr Hart. This may have been critical.
“The clinical reviewer concluded that staff did not update Mr Hart’s mental health assessment or create a care plan in response to his increased risk of suicide and self-harm.”
Reacting to the report, a Prison Service spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with the friends and family of Steven Hart.
“We have accepted all of the Prison and Probation Ombudsman’s recommendations.”
In addition, the prison said that mental health assessments are now regularly updated in response to changes in a prisoner’s condition and care plans are created for high-risk prisoners in collaboration with prison staff.
“Deeply sad”
An Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) and Challenge, Support and Intervention Plan (CSIP) floorwalker has been introduced to identify and respond to increased risks.
A new hub manager in the Safety Department is now responsible for promptly collecting and providing all required information to the PPO, under the Head of Safety’s supervision.
Bedford and Kempston MP, Mohammad Yasin (Labour), said: “The death of Mr Hart at HMP Bedford is a deeply sad and troubling tragedy that should not have happened.
“The report highlights the broader, systemic issue of suicide and self-harm in prisons, levels of which remain unacceptably high across the estate.
“While it’s clear that many staff at Bedford were doing their best under immense pressure, and there are commendable examples of meaningful support given to Mr Hart, the case nonetheless exposes serious failings in risk communication, observation procedures, and mental health care.
“Prison staff carry out a difficult and often traumatising role, but the duty to protect life must remain paramount. Lessons from this case must not only be acknowledged but urgently and consistently embedded into practice.”
