HMP Berwyn: 'Systemic failure' in prison Spice death

A "systemic failure" in stopping drugs from entering a prison contributed to the drug-related death of an inmate, an inquest jury has found.

Luke Morris Jones, 22, from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, died at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham on 31 March 2018 after smoking Spice in his cell.

The jury at Ruthin Coroner's Court also found the prison was "aware" of the inefficiency of its system.

Coroner John Gittins said he will write a prevention of future deaths report.

He said he was concerned about the "continuing apparent accessibility" of drugs to inmates at HMP Berwyn.

Mr Gittins added there was a "sense of dread in my office" over the number of deaths they would have to deal with after the opening of the 2,106-capacity prison in February 2017.

Earlier, the inquest heard there had been discussions about Jones moving wings within the prison to make it harder for him to access drugs.

The inquest also heard Jones had suffered a "major setback" in his prison life after losing his job in the prison kitchens after a fight on 14 March.

The hearing was told he had self-harmed in the past and had a history of drug use.

Jones later attempted to take his own life in prison and was placed on constant watch.

However, he was taken off constant watch the day before his death, instead being checked on four times an hour.

Mr Gittins said his office had expected to deal with six to eight deaths a year. However, Luke's death was the first at the prison, and a death last weekend was the fifth. Not all of these were drug-related.

He said this indicated there was some "good work being done" at the prison, but more good work was needed.

The coroner said drugs were a problem across the entire UK prison estate.

"This is a massive problem," he said, adding: "It is a problem which we can not give up on."

The jury concluded Jones' death was "drug-related death in circumstances where a systemic failure in HMP Berwyn's systems for preventing drugs entering the prison contributed".

"HMP Berwyn were aware of the inefficiency of the system and insufficient mitigation was in place whilst it was addressed," they added.