Prison deaths had 'massive' impact on staffing at facility says governor

Jury told it's not possible to 'mitigate every single risk'

A warning that this story contains information which some readers may find upsetting.

Three deaths at the Isle of Man Prison, in three years, have had a ‘massive’ impact on staffing and sparked the loss of a ‘huge’ number of employees.

That’s what the deputy governor has told the inquest of serving inmate Christopher Peter Corkill.  

The 46-year-old was found dead in his cell on 24 February last year during the morning unlocking procedure; he’d taken his own life.

His death followed that of fellow prisoners Craig Anderson in November 2022 and Kaan Douglas in March 2020.

Staffing

At Douglas Courthouse yesterday (17 July) Deputy Governor Martin Phillips told the jury there had been no fatalities at the prison for 40 years until 2020.

“We lost a huge amount of staff after each death in custody,” he explained.

Adding that some of those who were on duty, on each occasion, had only been in their first six months of employment, Mr Phillips said it had left prison officers reluctant to do morning cell checks.

He explained to the jury they routinely asked: “What are we going to find behind that door?”

He also told the jury that, due to the similarity in the way the men had taken their own lives, some prisoners had even played ‘jokes’ on staff by pretending to do the same.

“It has caused us issues with staffing without a doubt,” Mr Phillips acknowledged.

Plastic Bags and Night Policy

The jury was told plastic bags had been prohibited in November 2022, following Mr Anderson’s death, apart from for cleaning.

Acknowledging they were a ‘commodity’ which prisoners could seek to exploit, and conceal, Mr Phillips added: “They are really quite valuable in the prison.”

He said that, in his experience, prisoners would self-harm with a number of everyday items which were easily accessible.

“If someone wants to harm themselves in prison they’ll find a way and means to do so,” Mr Phillips told the court.

Earlier this week the jury heard Mr Corkill was last seen by an officer conducting a headcount just after 8pm on 23 February; he was found dead just before 8am the following day.

The deputy governor confirmed that the night policy remains unchanged - meaning prisoners go unchecked unless they are specifically required to have extra observations.

Mr Phillips said checking on all prisoners would be ‘intrusive’ adding: “It’s almost an invasion of their privacy.”

He also acknowledged that it was unsatisfactory that documents assessing Mr Corkill’s mental health, when he entered the prison in July 2022, and a ‘care map’ were not filled in properly and that ‘safer custody meetings’ had been poorly attended in the past.

However the deputy governor told the jury he didn’t believe there was anything he, or his officers, could have done to prevent Mr Corkill’s death.

“I don’t think so at all," he said: "I never thought Chris would be one to take his own life.”

Risks

The prison governor was the last person to give evidence to the jury. 

At Douglas Courthouse today (18 July) Leroy Bonnick told the court there was a ‘deep commitment’ to preventing further deaths at the prison.

He highlighted a number of changes and developments to policy and procedures which had been sparked by inspections by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

This included moving away from the previous 'Folder 5' system, which were opened for people at risk of self-harm or suicide, to a new one called ACCT – Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork - and training in trauma. 

When questioned about why Mr Corkill’s partner hadn’t received a letter of condolence from the prison following his death, the prison governor told the court he ‘couldn’t remember’.

“I can only apologise," he said: "I do recall at the time the police were heavily involved. It may have been an oversight due to that. We were told no contact is the way.”

Mr Bonnick was also asked whether it was possible to 'mitigate every single risk' in the custodial setting.

“Not at all,” he replied.

Inquest continues

The jury has now heard all the evidence in the inquest. 

Proceedings will continue at Douglas Courthouse tomorrow (19 July).

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this story there are details of local organisations that provide advice and support HERE.