The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an investigation
HMP Liverpool(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A man has died days after his release from HMP Liverpool. Steven Brown, 38, had been a serving prisoner at the Walton prison but died on July 12 this year.
An investigation has been launched by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) – an independent organisation that probes all deaths in custody. The PPO also investigates the deaths of recently released prisoners. The PPO investigation is listed on its website as post-release. This means that the former prisoner’s death occurred within 14 days of his release.
It is not currently known at this stage what Mr Brown had served his sentence for. Nor is it known where he is from or where he died.
A number of separate investigations are currently ongoing by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman into deaths at HMP Liverpool. Mr Brown is among seven ongoing fatal incident reports.
There are also six fatal incident reports which are ready to be published pending the outcome of an inquest.
The most recent inspection report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, published in November 2022, praised Walton for its “caring culture”.
The chief inspector of prisons wrote: “The prison’s strategy for reducing self-harm evidenced a good approach to care, predicated on good staff-prisoner relationships, which were a real strength at HMP Liverpool.”
HMP Liverpool(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The Ministry of Justice’s most recent performance list ranked HMP Liverpool as good.
However, the ECHO has previously reported this year on “frighteningly low” staffing levels at the prison with stretched resources “putting staff and prisoners at risk”.
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