Report of the Inquiry into the circumstances of the Death of Bernard ...

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occupations in cell
possessions in cell.
7.33 Witnesses told the inquiry that during the week of punishment Mr Lodge would
have retained his statutory entitlement to one hour’s daily exercise outdoors with other
prisoners (weather permitting). They were not able to suggest what other means of
occupation would have remained for Mr Lodge without the facilities removed by the
governor’s punishment.
7.34 The prisoners on E wing had jobs and enhanced privileges. In history sheets
entries on 25 July:
SO Lowe recorded that Sonny Lodge was to go to standard regime on K wing for
the seven days of his punishment.
The next entry, by Officer Smyth, noted that Sonny had made a very serious
suicide attempt and his F2052SH was closed recently and he should be
monitored carefully and return to E wing after seven days.
The next entry, signed by the then Coordinator for preventing suicide and selfharm,
says that, after discussion with SO Lowe, Sonny Lodge would be located
on H wing.
7.35 Sonny Lodge was moved to H wing instead of K wing with loss of association and
all privileges for seven days. At that time H wing was the unit for prisoners on basic, the
most restricted regime, to which prisoners were allocated following consistently poor
behaviour.
7.36 The inquiry has not been able to establish why H wing was preferred to K wing.
Mr Lowe could not remember the reason but commented that H wing held only 70
prisoners compared with 200 on K wing. SO Nuttall commented in respect of a later
move that K wing was a large wing that might seem intimidating after a small prison like
Risley. From HMCIP reports it appears that H wing, although an austere regime, had a
healthier culture than K wing at the time (see above, paragraphs 7.13-7.19).
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