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Watchdog Faults Strangeways Over Regime Failures in Report on Prisoner’s Suicide

The ombudsman describes a restricted regime with scant support that kept people in their cells for most of the day.

Overview

  • Lee Gorst, 35, was found hanged in his HMP Manchester cell on April 25, 2023, and a coroner recorded a verdict of suicide.
  • The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman found the jail was operating a restricted regime, with prisoners typically allowed about two hours out of cell as Gorst described being confined for 22.5 hours a day.
  • Investigators reported he received no proper induction or key‑worker support on arrival, leaving him isolated as he struggled with a new life sentence.
  • The report highlights a 14‑minute delay to escort paramedics through security during the emergency response.
  • After inspectors issued an Urgent Notification in 2024 calling the prison fundamentally unsafe, the Prison Service says increased staffing has since improved time out of cell.