Adam Rickwood

Mother warned jail of sons’ suicide risk

Mikey Powell Campaign
Originally published 29th September 2004
Any news updates on this case will be listed at the foot of this item

The mother of a teenager who died after a month on remand in secure unit alerted staff when he became distant and edgy. The family of the youngest child to die in custody in recent history had thought that he had been on suicide watch.

Adam’s Grandmother said that she was present when her daughter had told staff at the centre that Adam was suicidal, and they believed he was being put on suicide watch. 14 year old Adam Rickwood, was found hanged in a privately-run secure training centre in the early hours of 9th August 2004.

He had been on remand for a month, and was to apply for bail that day.

It is said that staff attempted to revive Adam when he was discovered. “Obviously it was too late. All we get now is a little mangled body,” said his grandmother, Margaret Rickwood, from Burnley in Lancashire.

CAUTION: very strong language!

She went on to say that her grandson had previously taken an overdose, and on another occasion might have slashed his wrists. She alledged that his mother, Carol Pounder, told staff at the secure centre that he should be on suicide watch, and had alerted them to his “distant” mood on a visit five days before his death.

Liz Rickwood described Adam as a “boisterous” boy, but not bad, and it was his first time in custody. She said he had threatened to kill himself a few days beforehand, and was finding it difficult being so far from his family and home, in Burnley. “They’re babies and they shouldn’t be locked up in places like that, they’re children who need help, not locking up away from their families.” she said.

England has three secure training centre’s housing 188 children aged as young as 12. They are intended to provide supportive, secure custody for vulnerable young offenders, and are smaller than young offender institutions and have a higher staff to inmate ratio.

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) announced an inquiry into Adam’s death, in addition to the police investigation. The YJB would not comment on whether he had been on suicide watch. The firm that runs the centre, a subsidiary of Premier Custodial Group, said it would also hold an inquiry.

Campaigners have said the death indicated a deeper problem in the treatment of 2,800 children in the criminal justice system. In April 2004, 15 year old Gareth Myatt, died in a restraint-related incident at another centre, Rainsbrook, in Northamptonshire. The last known suicide of a child under 16 in custody took place in 1991, but more than 150 inmates aged under 21 have killed themselves in the past 10 years.

“Rather than trying, and failing, to create child-friendly imprisonment, the government must act now to develop effective, humane services outside the prison system that will enable vulnerable children who offend to make a go of their lives,” said Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust.

Enver Solomon, senior policy officer for the trust also said “children in custody should be held with no more than 20 others and preferably in local authority secure units, where staff tend to be more experienced and where the focus is on children’s welfare.”

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