'It's about time we started showing prisoners more empathy and here's why'

This is going to cause all sorts of debate, but it's time we started showing prisoners more empathy - especially those in Essex.

When I wrote about the most recent death of a prisoner at HMP Chelmsford, I could have almost guaranteed what the reaction on social media would be. If there was a market to gamble on it, I'd have put my house on there being remarks such as "oh well, one less to keep" and "he won't cost us anymore"

Peter Dickson died after a choking episode at HMP Chelmsford. It's not known why he was at the Category B prison, but what is known, though, is that the majority of people held at the prison (as many as 70 per cent) are on remand. These are people awaiting trial and under the standard of innocent until proven guilty, they are not criminals.

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When people are put in prison, the public perception appears to be that they must be guilty. But in many cases that is not necessarily the case. Mr Dixon's cause of death was provisionally given as brain injury and choking on food. But sadly depression and anxiety are all too common features of deaths at the 723-capacity prison in Springfield Road.

Since January 2024, two residents at the prison have died from self-inflicted injuries. It led to inspectors warning that the level of reported self-harm was "very high" and "too many prisoners struggled to get help with their mental health".

If you were accused of a serious crime and remanded into custody ahead of a trial then you could find yourself living in the conditions that many would call the absolute-lowest quality. A book I recently read made an important point. Criminals are not always bad people, but they are people who have made bad choices.

There can be many reasons someone might end up behind the bars of HMP Chelmsford. But, whatever they've done (or potentially not done), they likely have a family that loves them. With so many of those at HMP Chelmsford potentially innocent, it's only right that we show prisoners a little bit more empathy and do more to keep those people safe in that environment regardless of who they are.