TDoR 2017 / 2016 / December / 30 / Jenny Swift


Jenny Swift

Age 49

30 Dec 2016
Doncaster, South Yorkshire (United Kingdom)
Died in custody

Jenny Swift
Jenny Swift [photo: www.liverpoolecho.co.uk]

Jenny was found dead in custody in HMP Doncaster (a Category B men's prison). An inquest into her death ruled that she died by misadventure.

Clarke told jurors she was aware that Swift had previously tried to kill herself and that she was on suicide watch, formally known as assessment care in custody teamwork (ACCT). Swift’s ACCT plan said she had to be checked on by a prison officer every 30 minutes.

Jurors were told that Swift had been taking hormone replacement treatment (HRT) drugs she had bought over the internet before she arrived at HMP Doncaster in November, five weeks before she killed herself.

Barney Branston, the barrister for Serco, which runs HMP Doncaster, suggested to Clarke that the bullying they alleged was simply a staff member being “robust”. Clarke replied: “I get that but I still saw the way she [the prison officer] was as bullying. In my view she wasn’t very professional.”

Friends and two fellow inmates told the inquest Swift struggled without the medication and was desperate to be moved to a female prison. Clarke said Swift was very upset at no longer being on HRT drugs and had told her days before her death: “I’m starting to turn back into a man.”

Jenny's death was not included on the official TGEU TDoR 2017 list.

https://metro.co.uk/2017/12/22/transgender-prisoner-found-hanging-cell-died-result-misadventure-7176281/

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/dec/18/transgender-inmate-complained-of-bullying-by-guards-inquest-told

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/inquest-death-transgender-woman-found-13831162

Report added: 18 Oct 2018. Last updated: 3 Dec 2018

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