Ombudsman Calls for Immediate Action After Four Suspected Drug Deaths at HMP The Mount

An ombudsman has stated that additional prisoner fatalities are possible unless “urgent” measures are implemented, following four suspected drug-related deaths at a single prison within a six-month period. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, a report revealed the presence of “significant amounts” of illicit substances within HMP The Mount, located in Bovingdon near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. In July 2022, two inmates succumbed to psychoactive substance use, with two more reportedly dying from psychoactive substances in January 2023. A spokesperson for the prison service commented: “Since 2022 HMP The Mount has improved its drug strategy to crack down on the supply of illegal substances in the prison.” Tyrone Beresford, aged 31, passed away at HMP The Mount in July 2022 following an overdose of spice, a synthetic psychoactive drug designed to imitate the effects of cannabis. Mr. Beresford, who had a background of drug and alcohol misuse, was moved to The Mount in November 2019 to serve a sentence of five years and six months. The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that between December 2019 and October 2020, he was identified as being under the influence of psychoactive substances on seven occasions. Subsequently, he engaged with a health and wellbeing worker and a therapist to address anxiety and depression. The ombudsman determined that the care provided to him was “not equivalent” to the care he would have received outside of prison. The report indicated that “there were a number of indications that Mr Beresford was again active in prison drug culture” starting in December 2021, and that “relatives of other prisoners were paying him money” in April 2022. On 12 July, Mr. Beresford was removed from his duties in the prison kitchen “after intelligence was received that he was using and conveying psychoactive substances.” He was discovered unresponsive in his cell two days following his removal. No evidence suggested an intention to end his own life. During the period of Mr. Beresford’s death, all types of drug testing were reportedly suspended, and merely 50% of requested searches were conducted. The ombudsman stated that prison management was insufficient in its efforts to curb both supply and demand, further remarking: “I am extremely concerned that unless more is urgently done to reduce drugs at the prison, more prisoners will die there.” Persistent staff shortages consistently hinder the prison’s initiatives aimed at decreasing supply and demand. Following the deaths of Mr. Beresford and another inmate, additional measures were implemented to reduce supply and demand. However, the report noted that these endeavors were compromised by a continuous scarcity of operational staff, which prevented the execution of an effective drug testing program. Furthermore, the ombudsman determined that the initial staff member who discovered Mr. Beresford in his cell failed to activate an emergency code, and described the emergency response by officers as “poor.” A spokesperson for the prison service stated: “Staff have also undergone renewed medical emergency training to reduce the likelihood of such an event happening again.”