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Inquest: TPIM terror controls had 'substantial impact' on prisoner who took own life

Jury finds prison service failed to support Akhtar Uddin, who died at HMP Wandsworth on Christmas Day 2021

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
An inquest jury has found that strict terrorism control measures imposed by the government had a "substantial impact" on the mental state of a prisoner who took his own life, and that the prison service failed to provide the support he needed. Akhtar Uddin, 35, a builder from east London, died at HMP Wandsworth on Christmas Day 2021 after being jailed the previous year for breaching a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIM) order.

The jury at Inner West London Coroner's Court concluded that Uddin died due to an action he took, but said it was "not possible to determine whether he intended the outcome to be his death."

Uddin was jailed in February 2020 for breaching the TPIM order. Before that, he had served a sentence for racially or religiously aggravated harassment.

TPIMs allow the authorities to control people whom the government believes are involved in terrorism, but who are not facing criminal charges. The home secretary acts on advice from MI5 when imposing them.

Subjects of TPIMs can face measures including electronic tagging, curfews, relocation to a different part of the country, bans on internet use, controls on finances, and limits on who they can meet and where they can go. Breaching the measures can result in a terrorism conviction and prison sentence. TPIMs can currently last up to five years, up from a maximum of two.

The findings raise questions about the mental health impact of such orders and the duty of care owed to prisoners held under them.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The inquest formally links government-imposed terrorism controls to a prisoner's mental health decline, an accountability finding against the state.
  • The jury found the prison service failed in its duty of care, a significant public rebuke that could lead to changes in how such prisoners are supported.
  • TPIMs restrict people who have not been charged with a crime; the case highlights the human cost of managing terrorism risk outside the criminal justice system.

Background

TPIMs are UK civil orders that replaced the earlier control order regime. They are used to restrict people suspected of involvement in terrorism where criminal prosecution is not possible, often because evidence cannot be disclosed in court. The orders are imposed by the home secretary on the advice of MI5 and carry strict conditions, with breach treated as a criminal offence. The inquest examined what happened when one such subject, jailed for breaching his order, was held in the prison system.

Key Perspectives

Inquest jury: The TPIM order had a "substantial impact" on Uddin's mental state, and the prison service failed to provide the support he needed. Justice system authorities: The prison service will face renewed scrutiny over its handling of prisoners with complex needs and its response to the jury's findings. Critics and civil liberties observers: The case is likely to sharpen concerns about the use of restrictions on people who have not been convicted of terrorism offences, and about the adequacy of mental health care for those subject to them.

What to Watch

  • Whether the Ministry of Justice or the prison service formally responds to the jury's findings.
  • Whether the coroner issues formal recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.
  • Any wider scrutiny of TPIM policy, including the maximum five-year duration of orders.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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