Self-inflicted jail deaths jump
An inquiry has been ordered into the increase in prison custody deaths
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Tuesday, 01, Jan 2008 03:08
The government has reported a sharp increase in the number of self-inflicted deaths among prisoners in England and Wales.
Statistics published in the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) Deaths in Prison Custody 2007 report reveal that there were 92 incidents of convicts attempting to kill themselves in comparison to 67 such cases last year.
The report stated that a high proportion of those who took their lives after harming themselves in prisons were "very vulnerable individuals".
Prisons minister Maria Eagle has ordered an inquiry into the reasons behind the increase. The probe, which will be headed by former Home Office minister of state Lord Bradley, will look into measures to improve security for those suffering from mental health problems.
Ms Eagle said she regretted the increase in prison custody deaths, adding that measures to halt the trend would be taken after considering the results of a review conducted by the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody.
Of the 92 deaths in custody, 84 were male prisoners and eight were female convicts. The MoJ added that 130,000 prisoners went through the system each year and over 100 prisoners had been resuscitated after attempting to cause injury to themselves.
The MoJ defines prisoner 'self-inflicted deaths' as all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take his or her own life. It states that approximately 20 per cent of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest.