Almost 50 people have died in segregation units in England and Wales between 2015 and 2025, according to a report by The Independent. One of those individuals was Matthew Osborne, a 39-year-old man who took his own life in November 2023 after spending 54 days in isolation at HMP Lowdham Grange. His family claims he received only three minutes of human contact over three days during his time in the segregation unit. An inquest into his death found that multiple failings and neglect contributed to his suicide in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) at the prison, which was later taken over by the Ministry of Justice after a series of tragic incidents. The inquest jury concluded that Mr. Osborne was unlawfully segregated for the last nine days of his life, as the exceptional circumstances required for such segregation were not met. The prisons and probation ombudsman, Adrian Usher, believes some of the recent deaths in segregation units were avoidable. He noted that eight out of 11 recent deaths in segregation involved prisoners who were being monitored under suicide and self-harm procedures. He stated that the number of deaths recorded in segregation units has risen sharply in the past two years, especially in 2024. Some of these deaths could have been prevented, and vulnerable individuals should only be placed in segregation if absolutely necessary, he added. Mr. Osborne was moved to the segregation unit in October 2023 after being involved in several altercations, which staff believed he initiated as a form of self-harm. He had already made three suicide attempts at the category B prison, which had recently undergone the first-ever private-to-private transfer as Sodexo took over operations. Prison governors have the authority to confine prisoners to segregation for up to 72 hours for disciplinary reasons or for the prisoner’s protection. After that, cases must be reviewed every 14 days by a Segregation Review Board. Segregation beyond 42 days must be approved by senior leadership, typically a prison group director. Policies also state that inmates like Mr. Osborne, who were being monitored under suicide and self-harm procedures called Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT), should only be segregated in "exceptional circumstances." The inquest found that the prison falsified records of Mr. Osborne's ACCT monitoring checks, which were supposed to take place three times an hour. On 25 November, there were no observations of him between 2.32pm and 4.22pm, during which time he ended his life. The segregation staff who were supposed to be monitoring him were watching television to "keep track of the football reporting," the inquest heard. He was also housed in a cell that did not meet basic standards, including a lack of mattress, the coroner noted in a prevention of future deaths report. Mr. Osborne’s sister, Jasmine Osborne, said her brother was deprived of care and human comfort while he was "locked in four small walls while he’s mentally unravelling." "Matthew wasn’t given meaningful interaction," she said. "At one point he only had three minutes in a period of three days. What would you expect the outcome to be? It’s like having a caged animal." She said suicidal prisoners should not be isolated and called for greater transparency around the use of segregation. Currently, the prisons service does not publish any data about the number of prisoners in segregation or how long they are held. A spokesperson for Sodexo said they continue to extend their "deepest sympathies and sincere apologies" to Mr. Osborne’s family and all those affected by his death. "As we commented at the conclusion of the inquest into Mr. Osborne's death, we have accepted the findings of the jury in full and continue to take this matter seriously," they added. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "The government is addressing the prison crisis it inherited, and progress is being made across the prisons estate to strengthen safety measures and improve support for prisoners. The safety of prisoners and staff is our top priority, and the use of segregation is only ever a last resort. We are taking further steps to protect prisoners at risk of self-harm by improving case management, enhancing staff training and providing targeted support for those with the most complex needs." The charity Inquest, which supported Ms. Osborne, said segregation creates a "prison within a prison" that isolates people from vital human contact and its use must be phased out. "Inquest's casework repeatedly lays bare that people with mental ill health are being inappropriately segregated against prison rules, with fatal consequences," added Jessica Pandian, a senior policy and communications officer. "Almost 50 deaths in segregation over the past decade are an indictment of its overuse. Segregation must be phased out, and reliance on it indicates a failing system."