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Jail Director's Alarm Before Prisoner's Death
16 Dec
Summary
- Prison director expressed deep concern over jail conditions prior to a death.
- Inmate Matthew Osborne found hanging after nearly two-hour check absence.
- A 'culture of staff not caring' was observed by the prison director.
An inquest heard that a prison director had significant concerns about HMP Lowdham Grange's conditions before Matthew Osborne was found dead in his cell on November 25, 2023. Osborne's death marked the fifth prisoner discovered hanging at the Nottinghamshire jail that year, with the court being told he had not been checked for almost two hours prior.
Ian Whiteside, operations director for Sodexo and former director of Lowdham Grange, testified about his arrival in October 2023. He described a "culture of staff not caring" and extraordinary behaviours, citing severe weaknesses and ongoing management issues that he believed were beyond a private organisation's capability.
Matthew Osborne, who had a history of making ligatures, was under an ACCT plan requiring hourly checks. However, records showed daily checks were incomplete and reviews for his isolation were not properly conducted. The Ministry of Justice ultimately took over the jail's management in December 2023.
