Call to crack down on ‘hooch’ and medicine in prisons after Dorset death
Ministers should draw up a specific policy to reduce inmate access to illicitly brewed alcohol and medication, a coroner has said, after the death of a vulnerable prisoner.An inquest jury found last month that Sheldon Jeans, who was discovered dead in his cell at HMP Guys Marsh in November 2022, had died as a result of consuming illegal alcohol and four different medications that had not been prescribed to him, recording death by misadventure.Rachael Griffin, the senior Dorset coroner, issued a prevention of future deaths (PFD) report in response to findings at the inquest, highlighting national policy and guidance relating to the handling of hooch and medication in prisons as areas for concern.“In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken … There is a lack of national policy, and local guidance at HMP Guys Marsh, to inform staff working in prisons of the dangers of illicitly brewed alcohol, also known as hooch,” she wrote.The report has been sent to the Department of Health and Social Care, HM Prison and Probation Service, HMP Guys Marsh, and Oxleas NHS foundation trust, requesting a response by 19 September 2025 detailing actions to be taken and a timetable for that action.
Jeans, 32, from Portsmouth, had a history of mental health issues and was anxious about the impending outcome of a parole hearing, a jury at Dorset coroner’s court in Bournemouth heard.In the report, the coroner drew attention to evidence given about the continual problem in prison of hooch, which is illicitly brewed from substances legitimately available to prisoners.In September 2022, shortly before Jeans’s death, 215.5 litres of it was seized at HMP Guys Marsh.Hooch was described during the inquest as a dangerous substance, and has sedative effects which can be increased when consumed alongside certain medications.
The coroner said that while policies were in place concerning the possession and use of illicit substances in prisons, these focused on drugs or medication and “remain silent in relation to alcohol”,The coroner also raised concerns about prisoners having access to prescription medication that was not prescribed to them,Jeans had taken four different types of medication, none of which had been prescribed to him, alongside consuming hooch,At the inquest, the jury concluded that the substances in isolation would not have been fatal, but taken together caused a sedative effect which, combined with Jeans’s body posture, led to respiratory depression,At the inquest, it was heard that prescription medication at HMP Guys Marsh can either be taken under supervision, or a prisoner is provided with the medication for them to keep and take in their cells.
Sign up to First EditionOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersafter newsletter promotionWhile it is not known how Jeans accessed the medication he consumed, evidence was provided at the inquest about how prisoners are able to access each other’s cells during states of unlock – such as during meal collection times,Medication was shown to be left around cells and in unsecured plastic containers, despite lockable cupboards being available,After the inquest, the jury concluded that Jeans’s death had been by misadventure, and that while he had deliberately taken the substances, he had not intended to end his life,A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We will carefully consider the coroner’s findings and will respond to the report in due course,”Jeans was found to have taken pregabalin, used to treat epilepsy and anxiety, and the antidepressant mirtazapine.
Jeans also took the opioid painkiller dihydrocodeine and quetiapine, which is used to treat mental health conditions.Benjamin Burrows, a partner with the law firm Leigh Day, who represents Jeans’s family, said: “Our hope is that steps are taken in prisons across the country, not just HMP Guys Marsh, to address these issues and to safeguard against this kind of tragic death occurring again.”
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