Date published: 5th February 2020

Comment – Deaths in prison are “a national scandal” as numbers reach a historic high and self-harm levels reach new records (Inquest, 30 January 2020)

Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice paint an alarming picture of the increasing number of deaths in prison custody, as well as record levels of self-harm, stats which continue to rise annually as successive governments omit to act upon risks towards the prison population. 

Charity INQUEST, who specialise in investigating state related deaths in England and Wales, highlighted the figures released by the MOJ in their damning January 2020 report “Deaths in prison: A national scandal”. Recommendations by INQUEST include utilising prison custody as a last resort, reducing the prison population and a redirection of resources towards welfare and “community-based support”.

The MoJ stats show that in the 12 months to September 2019 there were:

  • 308 deaths in total in prison, equating to six deaths per week
  • 90 self-inflicted deaths – one self-inflicted-death in prison every four days
  • 58 deaths recorded as ‘other/non-natural’, of which 56 are awaiting classification
  • 2 Homicides
  • 158 natural causes deaths

Perhaps most concerning is the fact that many of these deaths are preventable, with the report identifying significant shortcomings or serious lapses across many systems and services within prisons that have contributed towards fatalities which could have been averted, finding that:

  • Often “natural causes” deaths were a reflection of serious lapses in prison healthcare
  • Inconsistent and insufficient mental health care and assessments are an area of concern
  • Prison staff have inadequate understanding of suicide and self-harm risk-monitoring procedures
  • “Wide-ranging failures” in the provision of basic medical care existed, including the “lack of provision for people with complex physical/mental health needs
  • Problems are exacerbated by poor communication between prison, health and mental health service staff
  • Unacceptable delays in calling emergency services were a concern

The MoJ’s national statistics also depicted record-high numbers of self-harm incidents in the same 12 months with the 61,461 incidents up by 16% in the 12 months to September 2018 (53,076). This is a troubling increase compared to the already shocking figure of 22,253 a decade earlier.  In the year to June 2019 there were 166 incidents of self-harm every day in prison estates across England and Wales.

It is evident that the disturbing figures indicate an endemic across the prison system throughout the country, particularly so when there exists a large population of prisoners within the system who have severe mental health problems. The serious lapses and failings identified will only seek to exacerbate the despair, neglect and distress that prisoners are already subjected to.

Prisons are blatantly in breach of their duties and obligations to protect the lives of their inmate population, with tragic consequences. One bereaved parent whose son tragically died in HMP Chelmsford in 2016 summed up the crisis emphatically:

In this country we do not give a death sentence, but for everyone who has taken their life in prison that is exactly what they got.

Whilst premised in the context of suicide, it would seem uncontroversial to stretch this statement also to those inmates who have had their liberty deprived at the hands of serious failings, deficient healthcare, inadequate assessments and unacceptable emergency responses.

Deborah Coles, Executive Director of INQUEST said:

those in power seem to forget these are human beings to whom the state owes a duty of care.” “Still, more people are dying in prison than ever before…this is a national scandal [and] the health and safety of people in prison appears to be very low on the agenda - prioritising prison building and punitive policies will only exacerbate this already failing system.

With such alarming figures increasing annually, it is time that the government prioritised the safety and livelihood of society’s most vulnerable. Whilst there have been governmental initiatives to address the identified issues (such as large recruitment drive and significant expenditure plans), these have not been implemented with the relentless approach necessary to drive real change. It is regretful that such change has been slow to come to the fore when the endemic issues throughout prisons can quite literally be a matter of life or death.