Suicides

HC Deb 12 March 1990 vol 169 cc18-21W

Sir Charles Irving

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many suicides and how many attempted suicides have taken place in penal establishments in each of the last 10 years; and how many of these were(a) remand prisoners, (b) female prisoners, (c) prisoners under 21 and (d) prisoners from ethnic minorities;

(2) how many suicides and how many attempted suicides have taken place in each individual penal establishment in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Mellor

Table A gives the numbers of inmates in each prison establishment in England and Wales who have died in each year since 1980 and have been found at an inquest to have committed suicide. Figures are also given for the number of incidents of self-injury in 1989 which were regarded as suicide attempts; only partial information is available for earlier years.

Table B gives the number of suicides by unconvicted inmates, female inmates and inmates under the age of 21. No such breakdown can be given of figures for attempted suicides. Information on the ethnic origin of inmates who have committed suicide is not readily available.

Establishment	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	19891	19892
Guys Marsh	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Haslar	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Hatfield	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Haverigg	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(2)
Hewell Grange	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Highpoint	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	(5)
Hindley	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	(23)
Holloway	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(12)
Hull	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	(28)
Kingston	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Kirkham	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Kirklevington	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Lancaster	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	(3)
Latchmere House	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(7)
Leeds	2	—	1	1	1	2	—	2	4	2	(64)
Leicester	—	—	—	—	1	2	—	—	—	—	(2)
Lewes	—	—	2	—	1	—	—	—	—	1	(7)
Leyhill	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Lincoln	—	1	—	—	—	1	1	2	1	—	(2)
Lindholme	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	(6)
Littlehey	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	(11)
Liverpool	1	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	(19)
Long Lartin	—	2	1	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	(4)
Low Newton	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(16)
Maidstone	1	—	—	1	—	1	—	—	1	—	(—)
Manchester	—	1	—	1	—	1	2	3	—	3	(26)
Mount	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(3)
New Hall	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(2)
North Sea Camp	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Northallerton	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(3)
Norwich	—	—	—	1	2	—	1	1	—	—	(12)
Nottingham	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(3)
Onley	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(2)
Oxford	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Parkhurst	—	—	2	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Pentonville	1	—	—	1	1	2	—	2	1	—	(4)
Portland	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(3)
Preston	—	—	—	—	1	1	2	—	1	—	(12)
Pucklechurch	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(6)
Ranby	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(2)
Reading	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(2)
Risley	1	—	—	—	—	1	1	3	4	—	(9)
Rochester	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1	(—)
Rudgate	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Shepton Mallet	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(4)
Shrewsbury	1	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	—	(15)
Spring Hill	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Stafford	—	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	1	(6)
Stoke Heath	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	2	—	—	(2)
Styal	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Sudbury	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Swaleside	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(4)
Swansea	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	—	(6)
Swinfen Hall	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(2)
Usk	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
The Verne	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(1)
Thorn Cross	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Thorp Arch	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Wakefield	1	2	1	—	1	—	1	1	1	—	(2)
Wandsworth	1	—	—	—	1	2	—	3	1	1	(2)
Wayland	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(3)
Wellingborough	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Werrington	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(—)
Wetherby	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	(2)
Winchester	—	2	—	2	—	—	—	1	—	2	(10)
Wormwood Scrubs	1	—	—	—	—	2	1	2	2	1	(4)
Wymott	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	(3)
TOTAL	21	16	17	21	23	23	17	40	30	28	—
1 Figures in brackets are for attempted suicides.
2 Inquests have yet to be held on seven inmates who died in 1989 and whose deaths are thought to have been suicides. These deaths occurred at Her Majesty's Prisons Brixton, Cardiff, Long Lartin, Manchester, Rochester and Swansea and at Her Majesty's Remand Centre Risley.

Table B: Suicides at prison establishments by unconvicted inmates, female inmates and inmates under the age of 21
	Suicides by remand inmates	Suicides by female inmates	Suicides by inmates under the age of 21
1980	12	—	2
1981	7	—	1
1982	8	—	4
1983	9	—	2
1984	12	—	2
1985	14	—	1
1986	12	—	3
1987	27	1	7
1988	19	1	7
1 1989	9	—	3
1 Inquests have yet to be held on 7 other inmates who died in 1989 and whose deaths are thought to have been suicides. Of these, 4 were on remand, one was a female and 4 were under the age of 21.