Inquest juries criticise prison service

The prison service failed in its duty of care to two vulnerable
women prisoners, inquest juries have ruled.

Tina Bromley, 37, died at HMP Edmunds Hill in January last year and
Sue Stevens, 48, died at HMP Durham in February 2003.

The jury criticised HMP Edmunds Hill for putting Bromley on an
“inappropriate” detox regime and moving her from a
shared cell to a single cell.

The jury at the Sue Stevens inquest found poor planning of her move
from HMP Holloway to HMP Durham resulted in an inadequate
assessment of her self-harming tendencies.

Paul Bromley, Tina’s brother, said: “It is obvious that
Tina’s state of mind deteriorated so far within a very short time
upon admittance to Edmund’s Hill that it led her to taking her own
life. Whilst we recognise that the blame cannot be placed with any
individual, there is clear evidence of institutional neglect by the
prison service that led to the tragedy.”

Steven’s partner Jo Opie slammed the “grossly
inadequate” application of self-harm procedures at HMP
Durham.