The Guardian has reported alarm at recent apparently self-inflicted deaths in UK prisons, with fears that measures introduced to curb the spread of Coronavirus may be behind such deaths. In 2019, 80 self-inflicted deaths were recorded in British prisons, an average of 2 per week. In the six days up to 21 May 2020, five prisoners have apparently taken their own lives, a dramatic increase.
It was reported early on in the outbreak that there were fears that the prison system was not fit to contain the virus, with large numbers of prisons being dangerously overcrowded, and systems impossible to maintain social distancing and good cleanliness. Concerns around prisoner rights and coronavirus were rife from the very beginning.
The Government announced on 4 April that it would be releasing a number of prisoners who were serving light sentences, in an effort to ease the pressure on the prison service. Despite measures such as this, reports have been made that prisoners are in effect being confined to single cells in isolation for almost 24 hours per day.
The mental health of prisoners cannot be ignored, as the Office for National Statistics reported in 2019 that their “findings [...] show that male prisoners are more likely to die from suicide than men in the general population”. Steps must be taken amongst prisons to ensure the safety of their populace, such as regular observations, contact with mental health professionals, and wellbeing checks.
Taking measures to protect people should not get in their way of their rights
The outbreak of Coronavirus in prisons has led to a balancing act being required between ensuring that the virus does not spread unchecked amongst the prison population, which may effectively be a death sentence for those incarcerated, and ensuring the mental wellbeing of those within their care.
Steps taken to address the spread should, however, not contravene a prisoner’s basic human rights. Whilst vulnerable adults are under the care of the prison service, the duty to ensure their wellbeing remains.
Deborah Coles, INQUEST, said: “These deaths point to the frustration and despair of those faced with inhumane living conditions and highly restrictive regimes. Indefinite solitary confinement is the harrowing reality for men, women and children across the prison estate, with harmful consequences to both mental and physical health.”
The Government must also account for the lives lost as a result of the response to the Corona Virus pandemic, and Broudie Jackson Canter is calling on the Government to hold a public inquiry into the handling of the epidemic as soon as possible before more lives are lost.
We would urge families of those who die during this pandemic to ensure that they are informed of their rights to understand what has happened to their loved ones. If you’re not sure about what your rights are, you can contact us.
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