Bereaved Family ‘Involvement’ in (Prisoner) Death Investigations: Whose ‘Satisfaction’?

Abstract

A duty to investigate deaths in detention is enshrined within international legislation including Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). A core purpose of these investigations, following UK case law, is that bereaved families ‘have the satisfaction of knowing that lessons learned […] may save the lives of others.’ We highlight the striking absence of evidence illustrating the ‘satisfaction’ of bereaved families, utilising a case study of prisoner death investigations undertaken by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) and Coroners in England and Wales. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with 26 stakeholders, we explore what may produce familial ‘satisfaction’ and question who is satisfied by prisoner death investigations. Our analysis demonstrates that bereaved family ‘satisfaction’ was regularly spoken about by investigators and invoked to legitimise investigations despite limited evidence thereof. In conclusion, we highlight how the Ombudsman and Coroners should reconsider their practices to better satisfy families and manage expectations.

(Re)constructing Prisoner Death Investigations: A Case Study of Suicide Investigations from England and Wales

“…If political sensibilities inhibit the PPO from identifying systemic hazards, the PPO should clarify what they do not do in their Terms of Reference. It would be useful and fairer for all stakeholders, including coroners and bereaved families (Tomczak and Cook 2023), to have a transparent understanding of what matters the PPO can and cannot consider. In proposing that prisoner deaths occur at the intersection of systemic hazards, organizational contexts, and individual errors (Reason 1997), we do not wish to make a blanket declaration about the relative influence of each of these factors.…”

“…Familial "satisfaction" with investigations very clearly required both "learning the truth" and for that knowledge to be mobilized to prevent deaths. Across these studies, all stakeholders (that is, bereaved families, PPO staff, prison staff, and coroners) agreed that the latter function was currently unfulfilled (Tomczak and Cook 2023).…”

Standardy praw człowieka w zakresie autopsji i ekshumacji – refleksje na gruncie prawa i praktyki Rady Europy

“…Odnosząc się w tej sprawie do standardów sekcji, ETPC zwrócił uwagę na pojawiające się w innych państwach uchybienia co do praktyki sekcyjnej, takie jak: brak odpowiednich zdjęć kryminalistycznych ciała, brak wykonania sekcji i analizy histopatologicznej obrażeń i śladów na ciele 18 . W sprawie tej skarżący nie podnosili wprawdzie naruszenia prawa do kultu, jednakże determinacja, z jaką prowadzili postępowania oraz liczne wnioski składane celem podniesienia poziomu rzetelności postępowania na poziomie krajowym, świadczą o daleko idącej potrzebie ustalenia faktycznego losu ich syna oraz ewentualnych osób, które mogły przyczynić się do jego śmierci 19 .…”