Overview

• The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman found that HMP Durham staff did not assess Christopher Parker’s risk of suicide or open ACCT monitoring when he was recalled after an overdose in June 2020.
• At HMP Holme House, Parker’s ACCT plan was closed on November 10, 2020, after he denied intent to self-harm, and two days later he was discovered hanged in his cell.
• Investigators highlighted an operational lapse at Holme House where the officer who found Parker lacked a radio, delaying the call for medical assistance.
• The PPO concluded that suicide and self-harm procedures breached policy at both Durham and Holme House, ordering improved reception risk assessments and stricter ACCT management.
• HM Prison Service says it has accepted the report’s findings and has overhauled its self-harm protocols, provided staff training and upgraded emergency response measures.