01 January 2008
The Ministry of Justice has announced today that there were 92 apparent self-inflicted deaths among prisoners in England and Wales in 2007.
These and all other deaths in prison custody are investigated independently by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, and strenuous efforts are made to learn lessons.
Many more lives are saved than lost, thanks to good care and support from staff. The prison population hit an all-time high during 2007 and contains a high proportion of very vulnerable individuals. There are around 130,000 prisoners going through the prison system each year and on any one day prisons keep safe over 1,500 people assessed as at particular risk. Over 100 prisoners were resuscitated during 2007 after serious self-harm incidents. Many hundreds more have been helped by the care and timely interventions of staff.
In December Lord Bradley, a former Minister of State at the Home Office, was asked to carry out a review of how more offenders with severe mental health problems can be diverted away from prison and into more appropriate facilities. Lord Bradley is expected to report his findings in summer 2008 to the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice.
There were 67 self-inflicted deaths in 2006 following two years of the numbers falling. There were 95 such deaths in 2004, and 78 in 2005.
Prisons Minister Maria Eagle said:
'The Government remains determined to prevent deaths in custody. I sincerely regret this year's increase in self-inflicted deaths after the significant decreases of recent years.
'Our prisons contain large numbers of very vulnerable people, and caring for them is challenging and vital work. I know that all those involved remain totally committed, and I commend them for that.
'We have asked Lord Bradley to look at how more offenders with severe mental health problems can be diverted away from prison into more appropriate facilities. I have just received the report of the independent review of the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody and will decide early next year on next steps.'
Prison Service Director General Phil Wheatley added:
'Staff have continued to make strenuous efforts in this vital area of work in dealing with a challenging and vulnerable prison population. The rate of self-inflicted deaths had reduced year on year over the previous four years. It is critical that we remain focused in this key area.'
Notes to editors
1. There were 92 self-inflicted deaths in prisons in England and Wales in 2007. This breaks down to:
- Male prisoners – 84 (compared with 64 in 2006)
- Female prisoners – 8 (compared with 3 in 2006)
- Young offenders (under 21) – 7 (0 female) (compared with 2 (0 female) in 2006)
- Juveniles in Prison Service custody – 1 (compared with 0 in 2006)
- Remand prisoners – 41 (compared with 22 in 2006)
- Indeterminate Public Protection sentences – 4 (compared with 2 in 2006)
- Lifers (non-IPP) – 18 (compared with 6 in 2006)
- Foreign National Prisoners – 23 (compared with 6 in 2006)
2. In 2006 there were 67 self-inflicted deaths, there were 78 in 2005, 95 in 2004, 94 in 2003 and 95 in 2002.
3. 90 of these self-inflicted deaths occurred in public prisons, and two deaths occurred in contracted prisons, which hold approximately 11 per cent of the prisoner population.
4. The provisional rate of self-inflicted deaths this year is 114.0 per 100,000 prisoners, compared to 86.5 in 2006, 102.6 in 2005 and 127.2 in 2004.
5. The annual numbers and rates of self-inflicted deaths in prisons vary considerably. The most reliable guide to trends is the three-year average annual rate which is currently about 101.15 per 100,000 of population (lower compared to 104.90 for the three years ending December 2006).
6. There were no deaths in Secure Training Centres during 2007.
7. Prisoner 'self-inflicted deaths' include all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. Approximately 20 per cent of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest.
8. Revised Prison Service Order 2700 (Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Management) was published in October 2007 and implementation is due to be completed in every prison by the end of April 2008. Building on several years of learning from the experience of prisoners, staff, investigators, inspectors and others, it incorporates developments such as the introduction of ACCT, improved cross-agency information flows, and integrated local Safer Custody Teams pursuing a continuous improvement plan in each prison. Also reflected are long-standing areas of safer custody work such as peer supporters (Listeners and Insiders) and working with outside organisations.
9. ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork) is the care-planning system for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm, introduced across the prisons estate in partnership with the Department of Health during 2005-07. ACCT aims to improve the quality of care by introducing individual/flexible care-planning, supported by improved staff training in case management and in assessing and understanding at-risk prisoners.
10. Since 1 April 2004, all deaths in prison custody have been investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Stephen Shaw.
11. Jack Straw announced on 5 December that he has asked Lord Bradley to carry out a review, reporting jointly to the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice, to look at how more offenders with severe mental health problems can be diverted away from prison and into more appropriate facilities. Lord Bradley is expected to report his findings in summer 2008.
12. The independent review of the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody was completed before Christmas and the results are now with Ministers. The review has been expected to recommend substantial changes to the current arrangements in respect of both the Forum and the Ministerial Roundtable on Suicides in Prison, and Ministers will be considering these recommendations sympathetically with a view to strengthening the current arrangements within available resources.
13. More information about the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody