Director General of Operations HMPPS
Action Planned
• HMPPS is investing over £40 million in physical security measures across 34 prisons in the 2025/26 financial year. • This includes £10 million on anti-drone measures such as window replacements, external window grilles and specialist netting across 15 priority prisons, including HMP Long Lartin. • The Crime in Prisons Taskforce has been established to work closely with police and the CPS to improve the prosecution of those conveying contraband. (AI summary)
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Dear Mr Reid
REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS
Thank you for your Regulation 28 reports of 6 February 2026 following the inquest into the death of Emmett Morrison at HMP Long Lartin, addressed to the Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, and to the Governing Governor of HMP Long Lartin. I am responding to the issues raised in both reports on behalf of HMPPS as Director General of Operations.
I know that you will share a copy of this response with Mr Morrisons’s family, and I would firstly like to express my condolences for their loss. Every death in custody is a tragedy and the safety of those in our care is my absolute priority.
Following evidence heard at the inquest, you have raised concerns regarding the ingress of illicit drugs and the adequacy of the ACCT process in managing risk for vulnerable prisoners at HMP Long Lartin.
As you will be aware there are multiple routes through which drugs can enter prisons, influenced by factors such as security measures, geographical location and the prisoner cohort. Common attempted conveyance routes include prisoners arriving into custody, prison visits, correspondence, items thrown over perimeter walls and the use of drones. Our approach to tackling conveyance is therefore multi-faceted. In the 2025/26 financial year, we are investing over £40 million in physical security measures across 34 prisons, including £10 million on anti-drone measures such as window replacements, external window grilles and specialist netting across 15 priority prisons, both of which initiatives HMP Long Lartin will benefit from. Prisoners caught smuggling contraband may face additional time in custody, loss of privileges and other sanctions depending on the nature and quantity of the items. The most serious
cases, including smuggling drugs with intent to supply, are referred to the police, and the Crime in Prisons Taskforce has been established to work closely with police and the CPS to improve the quality of referrals and prosecutions for crimes committed in prisons.
We work closely with health partners to identify prisoners with a drug use need, refer them into treatment, support recovery and reduce demand. We have funded Incentivised Substance Free Living Units in 88 prisons, including at HMP Long Lartin, where prisoners sign a behaviour compact, agree to regular drug testing and can access enhanced opportunities compared to a standard wing. There are 54 Drug Strategy Leads in key prisons, including HMP Long Lartin, whose role is to support effective implementation of local drug strategies and ensure a whole-system approach to tackling drugs, complemented by Drug and Alcohol Leads at Prison Group level who support prisons across the estate. Naloxone, an essential life-saving medication capable of reversing opiate overdose, is now available in 99% of prisons. Naloxone training has been embedded into the foundation training for all new prison officers, and more than 10,000 staff have been trained to date.
We have also invested in multiple physical countermeasures and initiatives to address conveyance. X-ray body scanners are in place across all adult male closed prisons and are used where prisoners are suspected of internally concealing illicit items. HMP Long Lartin is one of 54 priority establishments where Enhanced Gate Security operates to search staff and visitors using archway metal detectors, handheld detection wands and x-ray baggage scanners. Drug trace detection equipment is available in all public-sector prisons to test suspect items and incoming mail for drug-laced paper or fabric, and dedicated search teams are also available to be deployed, equipped with specialist tools to deter conveyance and disrupt drug dealing within the estate.
Alongside these measures, we are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of illegal drones. Our multi-faceted approach includes physical security enhancements, technological development, intelligence exploitation, strengthened legislation and close collaboration with government and international partners. Targeted countermeasures such as window improvements, specialist netting and grilles are deployed to prevent drones successfully delivering contraband. We work closely with law enforcement, with the Director General of the National Crime Agency (NCA) directing police chiefs to work jointly with HMPPS to tackle drone threats. All closed prisons and young offender institutions have 400-metre Restricted Fly Zones, making any unauthorised drone incursion a criminal offence and supporting staff and police in disrupting drone activity. Comprehensive guidance has been developed, staff are being upskilled, and vulnerability assessments are carried out across the estate to understand risk and implement mitigation plans.
The Ministry of Justice takes the threat of serious and organised crime extremely seriously, recognising that drone conveyance is intrinsically linked to organised crime groups. HMPPS has a dedicated national Serious Organised Crime operational function which works collaboratively with law enforcement and partners to identify and disrupt organised criminal
activity within both the prison estate and the community which has recently been expanded, increasing specialist support for managing organised crime risks and strengthening law-enforcement partnerships. The national team provides targeted support to the most at-risk prisons, ensuring that local security strategies are aligned with national intelligence and operational priorities, while Area Intelligence Units play a vital role in gathering and analysing intelligence on serious and organised crime within prisons.
Regarding your concern about the ACCT process, the Prison Safety Policy Framework which was implemented on 1 January 2025, and superseded PSI 64/2011, requires that an ACCT case review team must set and review support actions to mitigate the risks identified. The ACCT Case Co-ordinator is expected to record the areas of risk discussed at a case review, update the Care Plan, including the support actions and note the rationale for the decisions of the case review team.
The policy requires that support actions are identified, even if a prisoner does not engage with an ACCT case review. It also requires that, if a prisoner is unwilling to participate in a case review, staff must record the reason they did not attend and update the prisoner on the outcome of the review, including any agreed actions. The prisoner must sign and agree the support actions form, but if they decline to do so, this must be documented.
Safety training covers defensible decision-making and evidence-based care planning. Training packages specifically for ACCT Case Coordinators upskill staff in the development of individualised care plans.
Since the death of Emmett Morrison, locally, the Quality Assurance processes have been updated, with four Quality Assurance checks introduced in line with the Prison Safety Policy Framework.. These new checks are now completed at HMP Long Lartin as follows:
Check A – Completed by Safer Custody: Assurance check of initial processes following the opening of an ACCT, including the ACCT Plan, front cover, key information, risks, triggers, protective factors, contribution forms, IAP and Assessment. Check B – Completed by Safer Custody: Assurance check of risks, triggers, protective factors, sources of support, support actions, the first case review, ongoing record and NOMIS. Check C – Weekly assurance check: Assurance check on subsequent case reviews, including risks, triggers, protective factors, ensuring support actions are added to the Care Plan, and checking the ongoing record and NOMIS. The date of the last Check C will be added alongside ACCT information in the daily operational morning meeting briefing. Any ACCTs managed by a Custodial Manager (complex cases) will have weekly Check C’s completed by Safer Custody, and Duty Governors now complete a Check C during their weekend duty. Check D – Completed by Safer Custody: Assurance check of the closure of the ACCT document and the post-closure process.
Findings from these assurance checks are shared with the case co-ordinator, line manager and Safer Custody Managers for further action where required. All Quality Assurance checks are monitored and uploaded onto a Quality Assurance analysis tool, with findings fed back at the monthly Safety Meeting for follow-up action where appropriate.
Additionally, since the death, the prison has implemented a new single case management allocation system. All open ACCTs are now assigned to a Supervising Officer or, for complex cases, a Custodial Manager. Only staff who have completed the required two-day ACCT case review team course can be allocated ACCTs or conduct reviews.
As of 19 February 2026, the prison has 20 open ACCTs, each managed by an individual Case Co-ordinator. Reviews are scheduled for times when the allocated Case Co-ordinator is on duty, with others stepping in only in exceptional circumstances. A buddy system has also been introduced so a nominated colleague can cover tasks during absences, ensuring continuity of care and preventing over-allocation.
Witnesses who believed they could not add Care Plan actions because the prisoner had not attended the review are being booked onto refresher training, and the prison has also prioritised Suicide and Self-Harm Awareness Training (SASH) on monthly lockdown training days.
In addition, National Safety Team colleagues provided one-to-one ACCT coaching to 21 Case Co-ordinators, supported by Safety Leads, in January 2026.
On behalf of the Governor, I would also like to offer you the opportunity to visit HMP Long Lartin, so that you may see first-hand the positive work the prison is committed to delivering and view the improvements they are making to processes and procedures.
Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention. I trust that this response provides assurance that action has been taken to address them.
REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS
Thank you for your Regulation 28 reports of 6 February 2026 following the inquest into the death of Emmett Morrison at HMP Long Lartin, addressed to the Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, and to the Governing Governor of HMP Long Lartin. I am responding to the issues raised in both reports on behalf of HMPPS as Director General of Operations.
I know that you will share a copy of this response with Mr Morrisons’s family, and I would firstly like to express my condolences for their loss. Every death in custody is a tragedy and the safety of those in our care is my absolute priority.
Following evidence heard at the inquest, you have raised concerns regarding the ingress of illicit drugs and the adequacy of the ACCT process in managing risk for vulnerable prisoners at HMP Long Lartin.
As you will be aware there are multiple routes through which drugs can enter prisons, influenced by factors such as security measures, geographical location and the prisoner cohort. Common attempted conveyance routes include prisoners arriving into custody, prison visits, correspondence, items thrown over perimeter walls and the use of drones. Our approach to tackling conveyance is therefore multi-faceted. In the 2025/26 financial year, we are investing over £40 million in physical security measures across 34 prisons, including £10 million on anti-drone measures such as window replacements, external window grilles and specialist netting across 15 priority prisons, both of which initiatives HMP Long Lartin will benefit from. Prisoners caught smuggling contraband may face additional time in custody, loss of privileges and other sanctions depending on the nature and quantity of the items. The most serious
cases, including smuggling drugs with intent to supply, are referred to the police, and the Crime in Prisons Taskforce has been established to work closely with police and the CPS to improve the quality of referrals and prosecutions for crimes committed in prisons.
We work closely with health partners to identify prisoners with a drug use need, refer them into treatment, support recovery and reduce demand. We have funded Incentivised Substance Free Living Units in 88 prisons, including at HMP Long Lartin, where prisoners sign a behaviour compact, agree to regular drug testing and can access enhanced opportunities compared to a standard wing. There are 54 Drug Strategy Leads in key prisons, including HMP Long Lartin, whose role is to support effective implementation of local drug strategies and ensure a whole-system approach to tackling drugs, complemented by Drug and Alcohol Leads at Prison Group level who support prisons across the estate. Naloxone, an essential life-saving medication capable of reversing opiate overdose, is now available in 99% of prisons. Naloxone training has been embedded into the foundation training for all new prison officers, and more than 10,000 staff have been trained to date.
We have also invested in multiple physical countermeasures and initiatives to address conveyance. X-ray body scanners are in place across all adult male closed prisons and are used where prisoners are suspected of internally concealing illicit items. HMP Long Lartin is one of 54 priority establishments where Enhanced Gate Security operates to search staff and visitors using archway metal detectors, handheld detection wands and x-ray baggage scanners. Drug trace detection equipment is available in all public-sector prisons to test suspect items and incoming mail for drug-laced paper or fabric, and dedicated search teams are also available to be deployed, equipped with specialist tools to deter conveyance and disrupt drug dealing within the estate.
Alongside these measures, we are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of illegal drones. Our multi-faceted approach includes physical security enhancements, technological development, intelligence exploitation, strengthened legislation and close collaboration with government and international partners. Targeted countermeasures such as window improvements, specialist netting and grilles are deployed to prevent drones successfully delivering contraband. We work closely with law enforcement, with the Director General of the National Crime Agency (NCA) directing police chiefs to work jointly with HMPPS to tackle drone threats. All closed prisons and young offender institutions have 400-metre Restricted Fly Zones, making any unauthorised drone incursion a criminal offence and supporting staff and police in disrupting drone activity. Comprehensive guidance has been developed, staff are being upskilled, and vulnerability assessments are carried out across the estate to understand risk and implement mitigation plans.
The Ministry of Justice takes the threat of serious and organised crime extremely seriously, recognising that drone conveyance is intrinsically linked to organised crime groups. HMPPS has a dedicated national Serious Organised Crime operational function which works collaboratively with law enforcement and partners to identify and disrupt organised criminal
activity within both the prison estate and the community which has recently been expanded, increasing specialist support for managing organised crime risks and strengthening law-enforcement partnerships. The national team provides targeted support to the most at-risk prisons, ensuring that local security strategies are aligned with national intelligence and operational priorities, while Area Intelligence Units play a vital role in gathering and analysing intelligence on serious and organised crime within prisons.
Regarding your concern about the ACCT process, the Prison Safety Policy Framework which was implemented on 1 January 2025, and superseded PSI 64/2011, requires that an ACCT case review team must set and review support actions to mitigate the risks identified. The ACCT Case Co-ordinator is expected to record the areas of risk discussed at a case review, update the Care Plan, including the support actions and note the rationale for the decisions of the case review team.
The policy requires that support actions are identified, even if a prisoner does not engage with an ACCT case review. It also requires that, if a prisoner is unwilling to participate in a case review, staff must record the reason they did not attend and update the prisoner on the outcome of the review, including any agreed actions. The prisoner must sign and agree the support actions form, but if they decline to do so, this must be documented.
Safety training covers defensible decision-making and evidence-based care planning. Training packages specifically for ACCT Case Coordinators upskill staff in the development of individualised care plans.
Since the death of Emmett Morrison, locally, the Quality Assurance processes have been updated, with four Quality Assurance checks introduced in line with the Prison Safety Policy Framework.. These new checks are now completed at HMP Long Lartin as follows:
Check A – Completed by Safer Custody: Assurance check of initial processes following the opening of an ACCT, including the ACCT Plan, front cover, key information, risks, triggers, protective factors, contribution forms, IAP and Assessment. Check B – Completed by Safer Custody: Assurance check of risks, triggers, protective factors, sources of support, support actions, the first case review, ongoing record and NOMIS. Check C – Weekly assurance check: Assurance check on subsequent case reviews, including risks, triggers, protective factors, ensuring support actions are added to the Care Plan, and checking the ongoing record and NOMIS. The date of the last Check C will be added alongside ACCT information in the daily operational morning meeting briefing. Any ACCTs managed by a Custodial Manager (complex cases) will have weekly Check C’s completed by Safer Custody, and Duty Governors now complete a Check C during their weekend duty. Check D – Completed by Safer Custody: Assurance check of the closure of the ACCT document and the post-closure process.
Findings from these assurance checks are shared with the case co-ordinator, line manager and Safer Custody Managers for further action where required. All Quality Assurance checks are monitored and uploaded onto a Quality Assurance analysis tool, with findings fed back at the monthly Safety Meeting for follow-up action where appropriate.
Additionally, since the death, the prison has implemented a new single case management allocation system. All open ACCTs are now assigned to a Supervising Officer or, for complex cases, a Custodial Manager. Only staff who have completed the required two-day ACCT case review team course can be allocated ACCTs or conduct reviews.
As of 19 February 2026, the prison has 20 open ACCTs, each managed by an individual Case Co-ordinator. Reviews are scheduled for times when the allocated Case Co-ordinator is on duty, with others stepping in only in exceptional circumstances. A buddy system has also been introduced so a nominated colleague can cover tasks during absences, ensuring continuity of care and preventing over-allocation.
Witnesses who believed they could not add Care Plan actions because the prisoner had not attended the review are being booked onto refresher training, and the prison has also prioritised Suicide and Self-Harm Awareness Training (SASH) on monthly lockdown training days.
In addition, National Safety Team colleagues provided one-to-one ACCT coaching to 21 Case Co-ordinators, supported by Safety Leads, in January 2026.
On behalf of the Governor, I would also like to offer you the opportunity to visit HMP Long Lartin, so that you may see first-hand the positive work the prison is committed to delivering and view the improvements they are making to processes and procedures.
Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention. I trust that this response provides assurance that action has been taken to address them.