Sarah Campbell

Sarah Campbell, 18, was a talented young White teenager who once dreamed of going to art college.

Sarah had a history of drug use, self-harm and mental ill health.

In January 2003, Sarah died less than 24 hours after arriving at Styal Prison in Cheshire. Sarah overdosed and died on a large quantity of drugs she had smuggled in after she was placed in a segregation unit at the prison.    

The inquest reached a narrative conclusion and the jury ruled there were contributory factors in her death, including the prison’s failure to provide duty of care and the lack of communication between health staff and prison staff. The jury concluded that "there was more emphasis placed on auditing [official assessments] rather than prisoners' welfare".

Sarah was the youngest of six women to die a self-inflicted death at Styal Prison between 2002 and 2003.

Following Sarah’s death, her mum Pauline became a tireless campaigner, protesting outside prisons when other women died. Tragically, Pauline died a self-inflicted death in 2012.