§ Sir Charles IrvingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mentally ill offenders were given custodial sentences by magistrates courts in each year from 1985 to 1989; and what steps he is taking to reduce these figures.
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Deaths of persons detained at Prison Service establishments 1 January 1989 to 31 March 1990 Date Establishment Age Sex Status3 Cause of death Inquest verdict 1989 1 January Manchester 51 M S Heart attack Natural causes 3 January Reading 27 M R Diabetes Natural causes 4 January Brixton 30 M R Hanging Open 11 January Castington 19 M S Hanging Accidental 12 January Durham 22 M S Hanging Suicide 12 January Wellingborough 19 M S Hanging Accidental 18 January Manchester 60 M R Hanging Suicide 21 January Canterbury1 24 M S Hanging Open 27 January Winchester 27 M S Hanging Suicide 3 February Canterbury 32 M R Hanging Suicide 14 February Liverpool1 55 M S Heart attack Natural causes 16 February Leeds 18 M R Hanging Suicide 25 February Brixton 45 M R Heart attack Natural causes 25 February Stafford 27 M S Hanging Open 25 February The Verne1 48 M S Heart attack Natural causes 25 February Liverpool1 31 M S Heart attack Natural causes 5 March Frankland 34 M S Hanging Suicide 9 March Durham 31 M R Hanging Suicide 15 March Wandsworth 43 M S Cut artery Suicide 17 March Pentonville 30 M I Brain tumour Natural causes 18 March Liverpool 48 M S Hanging Suicide 19 March Liverpool 32 M S Hanging Suicide 22 March Pentonville 35 M S Drug poisoning Misadventure 23 March Gloucester1 22 M R Burns Misadventure 25 March Risley 19 F R Hanging Open 31 March Maidstone 48 M S Heart attack Natural causes 12 April Littlehey 29 M S Cut artery Suicide 19 April Leeds1 48 M S Cancer Natural causes 21 April Preston 40 M S Heart attack Natural causes 25 April Brixton 52 M R Hanging Open 26 April Sudbury 38 M S Heart attack Natural causes 27 April Stafford1 24 M S Pneumonia Natural causes 28 April Lewes 19 M S Hanging Suicide 30 April Brixton1 23 M R Hanging Suicide 8 May Dartmoor 23 M S Hanging Suicide 13 May Winchester 23 M R Hanging Suicide 15 May Manchester 18 M R Hanging Suicide 17 May Risley 28 F R Hanging Not yet held 25 May Stafford 22 M S Hanging Suicide 26 May Manchester1 27 M R Hanging Suicide
§ Mr. John PattenSuch information is not available centrally.
Guidance to courts on avoiding sending mentally disordered offenders to prison is provided in "The Sentence of the Court" (HMSO), a new edition of which will be published shortly. This guidance has been revised to encourage courts to use their powers to remand to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983 or making attendance at or admission to hospital a condition of bail. Statistical information on the use of such powers was published in Home Office statistical bulletin 28/88 "Statistics of Mentally Disordered Offenders, England and Wales, 1985 and 1986", a copy of which is in the Library.