This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/11/prisons-suicides-inmates-ombudsman
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| UK prisons 'failing to identify suicidal inmates' | UK prisons 'failing to identify suicidal inmates' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| There are too many cases of prisons failing to identify inmates who are a suicide risk despite the presence of clear warning signs, an official watchdog has warned after a "troubling" 64% rise in self-inflicted deaths behind bars in the past year. | There are too many cases of prisons failing to identify inmates who are a suicide risk despite the presence of clear warning signs, an official watchdog has warned after a "troubling" 64% rise in self-inflicted deaths behind bars in the past year. |
| Nigel Newcomen, the prisons and probation ombudsman, who is required to investigate every death in custody, said he could not definitively explain the rise in prison suicides to 90 deaths in 2013-14. | Nigel Newcomen, the prisons and probation ombudsman, who is required to investigate every death in custody, said he could not definitively explain the rise in prison suicides to 90 deaths in 2013-14. |
| But he said the jail system in England and Wales was "undeniably facing enormous challenges" including overstretched prison staff and it was time for the prison service's 10-year-old procedures for preventing suicides to be overhauled. | But he said the jail system in England and Wales was "undeniably facing enormous challenges" including overstretched prison staff and it was time for the prison service's 10-year-old procedures for preventing suicides to be overhauled. |
| In his annual report the ombudsman said he started investigations into 239 deaths in prisons, immigration centres and probation hostels last year – a rise of 25% over the previous year. He said most of the deaths – 130 – were from natural causes and their rise was explained by the fact that the over-60s were the fastest-growing segment of the prison population. Jails designed to hold young men were having to adjust to unexpected roles as secure care homes and even hospices. | In his annual report the ombudsman said he started investigations into 239 deaths in prisons, immigration centres and probation hostels last year – a rise of 25% over the previous year. He said most of the deaths – 130 – were from natural causes and their rise was explained by the fact that the over-60s were the fastest-growing segment of the prison population. Jails designed to hold young men were having to adjust to unexpected roles as secure care homes and even hospices. |
| But he says the rise in self-inflicted deaths from 55 to 90 in the past year, and the doubling in the number of murders behind bars from two to four, was troubling. He said the deaths partly reflected the level of mental illness in prison and a rising toll of despair among some prisoners. | But he says the rise in self-inflicted deaths from 55 to 90 in the past year, and the doubling in the number of murders behind bars from two to four, was troubling. He said the deaths partly reflected the level of mental illness in prison and a rising toll of despair among some prisoners. |
| "We cannot offer a definitive explanation for the increase, but the case studies and learning lessons material provided in this annual report illustrate that some sadly familiar issues continue to recur," he said. | |
| "For example, there have been too many instances of prisons failing to adequately identify the risk of suicide posed by prisoners, despite clear warning signs being present. Even when risk of suicide was identified, monitoring arrangements and case reviews were too often inadequate." | |
| The ombudsman said suggestions prison staff were so stretched that they could no longer provide adequate care for vulnerable prisoners remained anecdotal, while every day staff saved prisoners from themselves. "Nevertheless the prison system is undeniably facing enormous challenges," he said adding that his investigations disclosed repeated examples of poor implementation of proper suicide watch procedures. | The ombudsman said suggestions prison staff were so stretched that they could no longer provide adequate care for vulnerable prisoners remained anecdotal, while every day staff saved prisoners from themselves. "Nevertheless the prison system is undeniably facing enormous challenges," he said adding that his investigations disclosed repeated examples of poor implementation of proper suicide watch procedures. |
| This week the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, challenged over the sharp rise in prison suicides, said he took the issue seriously. "We saw a rise in numbers earlier in the year; we saw a fall in numbers across the summer," he said. | |
| "We may see a rise or a fall in the future. These things are difficult to track. We work very hard to tackle what is a real problem." |