Usk Prison: Ian Miller's suicide prompts call for change

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Usk Prison was built in 1842

A prisoner killed himself after being told he could not live at home with his children upon release, a report said.

Gwent coroner Caroline Saunders called it "devastating news" and urged changes to how soon-to-be-released prisoners are dealt with.

She has issued after Ian Miller, who was serving a custodial sentence at Usk Prison, Monmouthshire, died.

A jury inquest in December returned a conclusion of suicide.

Mr Miller was found unconscious in his cell on 21 September 2019.

The day before he died, Mr Miller had been called to a probation meeting ahead of his expected release the following month.

During the meeting he was told he would not be able to live at the family home or have unsupervised contact with his children.

He was also told he would not be able to live with his father-in-law and would probably become homeless.

In the Prevention of Future Deaths report, Ms Saunders said key people at the meeting did not have a prior relationship with Mr Miller.

'Devastating news'

"They did not know how devastating this news would be to him, and he was not placed under closer supervision," she said.

The inquest heard Mr Miller died from self-inflicted injuries, while a toxicologist also found a number of medications in his blood and urine that he had not been prescribed.

His former cellmate described a culture where prescription drugs were being traded and had become "a form of currency".

He said the trading of drugs was "rife" and Mr Miller bought medications from other prisoners.

"Whilst the ingestion of unprescribed medication did not contribute to Ian's death, this practice, if left unchecked, clearly puts the lives of other prisoners at risk in the future," said the coroner.

The Prison Service has been given until the end of February to explain what steps Usk Prison has taken to address the risks posed by prisoners trading prescribed medication.

A Prison Service spokesman said its thoughts remained with the friends of family of Mr Miller, adding: "We will consider the coroner's findings and respond in due course."