Recurring concern

Inadequate safety information for prison visitors

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First reported 13 Dec 2016•Latest report 28 Jul 2017

Definition

What this concern includes

Includes failures of the prison visitor-information process to provide clear, sufficiently detailed and actionable safety information to visitors or family members, including information about how to raise concerns with the prison.

Not included

  • Excludes visitor access-control, signing-in and physical-security failures where the concern is not the content or availability of safety information.
  • Excludes general prison communication or information-sharing deficiencies not specifically directed to visitors or family members.
  • Excludes clinical-care instructions for visitors, such as feeding or infection-control information, unless the assertion concerns the wider prison visitor safety-information process.
  • Excludes neutral or routine visitor information that does not identify an unsafe deficiency.
Reports
2

Distinct published reports

Individual concerns
2

A report can raise multiple concerns

Date range
2016–2017

First to latest report issue date

Stated actions
1

Described in published responses

Reports over time

Reports over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

HM Prison and Probation Service2
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust1
HM Courts & Tribunals Service1
Ministry of Justice1
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman1
Properly interested persons1

Concerns and responses across reports

Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

  1. London (City)

    AI-generated summary

    SARAH LYNNE REED · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Sarah Lynne Reed took her own life on 11 January 2016 in a single-occupancy cell at HMP Holloway, using a ligature made from bed linen. The report identifies concerns about delays in obtaining fitness-to-plead reports, management of her medication and deteriorating mental health, inappropriate reduction of observations, delays and deficiencies in care planning, and cancelled visits that contributed to her isolation.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Insufficient information provided to prisoner visitors

    Wider context from the report

    “(18) The Coroner also observes that the information provided to visitors including close family was often short on detail and lacked helpful information. ”

    Source location

    SARAH LYNNE REED · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Review visits policy and develop a new framework addressing cancellation, visitor information, rebooking and support for families and friends.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Our current policies on visits do not provide specific guidance on the issues that you have raised. They are being reviewed and the issues raised will be considered when the new policy framework, due to be launched in the summer of 2018, is being developed. In accordance with our general approach the framework will include less detailed prescription than the current policy, but it will provide guidance on how best to support families and friends with prison visits, including in relation to the points that you have raised.”

    Source location

    2017-0208-Response-by-NOMS
    Page 4 · response
    Published 1 August 2017

    Open published response

  2. Milton Keynes

    AI-generated summary

    Simon John Turvey · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Simon John Turvey was found hanging in his locked cell at HMP Woodhill on 29 December 2015 and was declared dead by paramedics. The concerns included failures in the Personal Officer scheme and a lack of proactive communication to family members about how to share concerns with the prison, meaning risk factors may have been missed.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to provide cause for concern line details to visitors and family members

    Wider context from the report

    “1. That the details of the cause for concern line should be given to all visitor and family members so that they can easily report their concerns to the prison. ”

    Source location

    Simon John Turvey · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 1 · concerns

    Open source report
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Data last updated 7 September 2026