January 1,
2010: Deaths In Prison Custody
The
Ministry of Justice has
announced today that there were 60 apparently self-inflicted deaths among
prisoners in England and Wales in 2009.
Prisoner ‘self-inflicted
deaths’ include all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted
specifically to take their own life. Approximately 80% of these deaths receive a
suicide or open verdict at inquest.
Claire Ward,
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice said:
‘Each and every death in
custody is a personal tragedy for all those involved. The Government is fully
committed to reducing deaths in custody. The continued reduction in the rate of
self-inflicted deaths in our prisons is welcome news. I would like to
acknowledge the efforts of all those who work in our prisons who care for the
most vulnerable prisoners.’
On any one day, prisons
keep safe over 1,500 people assessed as being at particular risk of suicide or
self-harm. These and many more prisoners are helped and cared for by prison
staff, third sector partners and other prisoners – trusted ‘Listeners’ trained
by the Samaritans to provide confidential emotional support to others.
The numbers of
self-inflicted deaths in prison custody can vary considerably. Rises and falls
from one year to the next are not good indicators of underlying trends. The most
reliable guide to trends is the three-year average annual rate. This currently
stands at 86 deaths per 100,000 prisoners and has decreased year-on-year since
2004 when it was 130 deaths per 100,000 prisoners.
Phil Wheatley, Director General of the
National Offender Management
Service (NOMS) said:
‘It is vital that we learn
from all deaths so that we can prevent future ones. I am pleased that we have
held down the number of self-inflicted deaths given the increased population
pressures we have faced this year. I also welcome the fact that there are now
fewer deaths in the early days of custody. This is due to better drug
detoxification programmes, mental health services and the sheer hard work of
prison staff in caring for those most at risk of suicide. Continuing to reduce
the number of self-inflicted deaths in prison custody is important core business
for the National Offender Management Service in 2010.’
Since 1 April 2004, all
deaths in prison custody have been investigated by the
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Stephen
Shaw. The Ombudsman’s investigators and family liaison officers carry out
independent investigations which also address any issues raised by the bereaved
family. Stephen Shaw commented:
‘Each death in custody is a
tragedy and my office carries out independent investigations to find out what
happened. Despite the pressures on the prison system, it is very welcome that
the rate of self-inflicted deaths continues its downward trend. I know that the
Prison Service takes the safety of prisoners very seriously. I am confident that
it will continue to act on my recommendations in a joint endeavour to reduce the
rate of avoidable deaths even further.’
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