Inquest highlights YOI failings in death of 17-year-old
Neil Puffett
Friday, April 4, 2014
The death of a 17-year-old who was found hanging in his cell in a young offender institution was preventable, an inquest has concluded.
Jake Hardy died in hospital on 24 January 2012 after being found unconscious in his cell at Hindley YOI in Wigan four days earlier.
The inquest had heard that Jake, who had a history of self-harm, had repeatedly told officers he was being bullied, but insufficient steps were taken to protect him.
Prior to entering Hindley on 6 December 2011, Jake had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder, had been given a statement of special educational needs, and was under the care of the local mental health team.
Following the inquest, Jake’s mother Elizabeth Hardy said her family was shocked by the attitude of some of the officers who “just didn't care” that her son was being bullied.
“Other officers took such small steps but never followed it through to the end,” she said.
“If they had done their job properly they could have prevented Jake's death.
“Jake was too vulnerable and should never have gone to a place like Hindley to start with.
“I kept my son safe for 17 years yet Hindley couldn’t keep him safe for two months.”
Deborah Coles, co-director of Inquest, said Jake Hardy was “utterly failed” by prison officers and the prison system.
“Every warning sign about his vulnerability was starkly evident but systematically ignored,” she added.
"The decision to ignore the heartbreaking pleas for help from a scared child, alone in his cell resulting in his desperate act, should shame us all.
“How many more times do inquests have to report on children dying in prisons that are rife with bullying, physical restraint and self-harm, and where there are failures to protect the lives of children in its care?
“The imprisonment of children is simply wrong.”
