Michael Cartwright's death sparks call for more training at Stoke Heath Young Offenders’ Institution
A CORONER has called for all officers at a detention centre to be trained in first aid after an inmate hanged himself.
Only one in four staff at Stoke Heath Young Offenders' Institution were trained in emergency resuscitation when Michael Cartwright was discovered unconscious and without a pulse by an employee on night patrol.
The details were revealed during a three-day inquest which heard the 18-year-old used a strip of bed sheet to hang himself from the window of his cell on December 20, 2010.
The teenager died in hospital two days later after suffering irreversible brain stem death.
The cause of death at post-mortem was given as hanging.
Inquest jurors sitting at Wem, Shropshire, yesterday returned a verdict that Michael killed himself.
They had been told how a member of staff discovered Michael on his knees with the strip of sheet around his neck.
She waited for back-up before entering his cell, because she was "not sure" if it was a genuine suicide attempt.
The employee had a master key to enter the cell on her own in the event of a life or death situation.
But she chose to radio staff and wait for them to arrive due to concerns over her safety and the safety of the centre as a whole if she was overpowered.
Institution officers, healthcare staff and a paramedic arrived and began resuscitation attempts on the former Middlehurst Special School pupil, who had turned blue in the face and had the words 'mum' and 'dad' scratched into his right forearm.
Coroner John Ellery said he would be writing to the centre's governor to call for all officers to be trained in first aid and for night patrol staff to be given better guidance and support on how to deal with similar situations in the future.
He said: "It seems to me by now all officers should be first aid trained. One in four were trained at the time Michael was found and that has now increased to three in four.
"I'm also concerned about the specific position the officer who discovered Michael found herself in.
"She was patrolling the wing on her own and I think for the first time in her career she was faced with a very difficult position where she had to make an assessment, which could have potential consequences either way.
"It's a terribly difficult decision for someone to make and ultimately it has to be an individual decision.
"It seems to me that officers who are patrolling at night would be assisted by having training as to how they might react to a similar situation."
Michael, who lived in Winchester Avenue, Bentilee, had two months left to serve of a 20-month sentence for attempted burglary, theft and assault.
He had attempted suicide at the same centre a year earlier and had a history of self-harm.
The teenager had sent a letter to his girlfriend just over a fortnight before he was found hanged in which he said he was going to die and would not be around for Christmas.
The letter was intercepted by postal staff at the institution, but when questioned about it, Michael said he had been kidding and had only wanted to upset his girlfriend.
He was the subject of five ACCT care plans (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork), for those at risk of suicide or self-harm, during his two periods at the centre near Market Drayton.
The last ACCT was closed on December 10 and reviewed three days before Michael hanged himself, and staff had no concerns at the time over possible self-harm or suicide attempts.
Michael, who had nine brothers and sisters, was seen laughing and joking and playing table football with his brother and another inmate hours before he was found hanged.
A psychologist's report carried out in March 2010 found Michael, who talked about being 'bored', often masked his true emotions.
5 Comments
by PaulF430
Monday, February 20 2012, 11:48AM
“Nelson - he put himself in prison, why should it be someone else's responsibility to prevent him taking his own life? Don't talk such ****. If he didn't want to be locked up then he shouldn't be put himself in a position to be there. Stop blaming the prison officers, muppet.”
by nelsonl
Friday, February 17 2012, 6:52PM
“re reading the main article i blame the young offenders prison of negligence. I have just read he tried this 12 month ago, so they knew he was high risk and they didnt attempt to have him on a 24 hour watch, or a secure wing where he could be monitored by specialists
How disgusting......
I bet they dont get any kind of fine etc
It makes me blood boil and feel even more pain for how much his family must of already suffered over their sad loss”
by nelsonl
Friday, February 17 2012, 6:43PM
“Someone taking their own life is really sad and my condolonces go out to the family of Mr Cartwright, and i do really feel for them.
No one knows why he did it, no one ever will.
Sadly Prisons and young offenders units are for people who commit crime, and not usually for someone who is a first offender. I dont think the justice system need judge different people in different ways for eg sending some to prison and others to get help. They are sent prison for the crimes they have committed, and while i do sincerely have the deepest regret for Mr Cartwrights family, Mr Cartwright knew before he got caught doing whatever he was doing could result in a prison sentence.
He also most probably knew he would not like or cope with prison, so know matter how tempting it was to commit crime, he ought to of got help then, to stop this kind of tragedy.
Please dont think im being heartless, i arent, i have a lot of sadness inside me knowing another waste of young life has been wasted:(.
But sadly as the saying goes, "if you cant do the time, don't do the crime"....
If only (yes its all ifs and buts when its too late) Mr Cartwright had stopped and thought "bloody hell if i get caught i will go to prison" he could now be living a healthy life and his family not going through the hell and hurt they have are are still going through.
And what is the worst thing about this is no one spotted Mr Cartwright felt this way, usually young offenders or prisoners who suffer from bad thoughts are put on watch and checked every 20 mins or so, so i believe, had this been the case this young man might still be with us today, nearly had his sentence done, and looking forward to leading a trouble free life with his family and friends.
RIP”
by ghosts
Friday, February 17 2012, 11:36AM
“A double tragedy here really....a young man who took his own life and two brothers who were inside together......Prison wardens aren't medics and shouldn't be expected to be so....Also if he had wanted to take his own life he may have done it anywhere.....”
by foureyes19
Friday, February 17 2012, 10:44AM
“This is just so sad, and a perfect example of how locking young people up isn't always a good idea. I'll admit right away that I have no background information on what this lad did, and I've no doubt that the victims of his various crimes might have been relieved – even happy – when he was sent to Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institution. The victims would be fully entitled to feel this way, and if I'd have been amongst them then I would probably have felt the same.
However, sending someone to prison should be as much about reform as preventing them from carrying out more crime. Sadly, there just aren't enough resources available to the prison service to help even the most vulnerable of young criminals, and we all know how restricted government spending is and will be for years to come. Also, I dare say that between the ones that would abuse any help that was offered, and the ones that would simply refuse help outright, any scheme would be very difficult to implement.
But all that being said, those admittedly valid points do not give society the right to stop at least trying to help these people. My fear is that institutions are giving up on individuals like Michael Cartwright, and when that happens, we are only a few steps away from giving up on other vulnerable members of our community as well.
I seem to be saying this quite a lot recently, but the saddest thing of all in this story is the utter waste of a young life. My condolences to his loved ones.”