- The Guardian, Saturday 22 September 2007
The first annual report from the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody shows that one third of those who die in psychiatric detention, prisons and police stations do so for reasons other than natural causes, including suicide.
John Wadham, the chairman of the forum, which includes the police, prison service, mental health specialists and coroners among its members, said: "While it is not possible to eliminate every one of those deaths, it is clear that many lives could and should be saved."
The forum's report is the first attempt to count the number of deaths in custody across the criminal justice system, including prisons, secure hospitals, child jails and police custody suites.
The figures show that the largest number of deaths - 351 - in the year 2006-07 were among detained mental patients, of which 279 were from natural causes but at least 41 were the result of apparent suicides. In prisons 71 of the 162 deaths recorded were self-inflicted or for reasons other than natural causes.
The report raises concern about the effectiveness and independence of mental health investigations into such deaths compared with the inquiries in relation to deaths in police and prison custody.
The report says there is evidence of "good practice" in reducing deaths in custody and highlights the fact that there has not been a prison service death as a result of somebody being restrained for the past 12 years. But it does raise concerns about the 33 deaths recorded in prison segregation units between 2004 and 2007, saying that too often the most difficult prisoners were also the most vulnerable. It argues that there were occasions when alternatives to segregation were not adequately explored.
The forum also raises concern about the growth in the use of indeterminate sentence for public protection, under which prisoners are not given a fixed release date.
"Staff who are regularly exposed to highly vulnerable and suicidal individuals often need training in when to ask probing questions. There is a risk that constant exposure to people who express the desire to harm themselves and others can result in complacency when there is a real risk of them acting out this behaviour," warns the report.
Mr Wadham, who is the new legal director of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, said the government was reviewing its resources: "The lack of resources has made the group's task a difficult one. We have not been able to conduct or commission research into any of the issues we believe are worthy of it."
Deborah Coles, of Inquest, which works with the families of people who have died in custody, said the shocking number of deaths needed more analysis than the forum could currently provide: "The only way to ensure lessons are learned from these deaths is through effective investigations and inquests and for follow-up action on their outcomes."
One week's toll
Tuesday, September 11 Lisa Doe, 25, found hanging in her cell at Send prison, near Woking, Surrey. Staff attempted to resuscitate her before she was taken to hospital where she was put on a ventilator but died six hours later. She was in the fourth year of a life sentence for stabbing a homeless man to death in Aldershot, Hampshire.
Wednesday Staff at Exeter prison found Marc Mehmet, 27, dead in his cell after he hanged himself. He was the second man to die at the prison in less than a month. He had been arrested in connection with the murder of newspaper seller Michael White in Exeter. He had been sentenced to serve nine years, six months for grievous bodily harm. He had been released on licence but that was revoked.
Friday Mark Taylor, 43, was found hanging in a cell at Blakenhurst prison, Worcestershire. Paramedics were called but he was pronounced dead. He had been awaiting sentence at Coventry crown court for arson with intent.
