HC Deb 17 December 1979 vol 976 cc2-3W
Mr. Greville Janner

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many men and how many women inmates in borstals and prisons, respectively, committed suicide during each of the last 20 years for which records are available and at what ages;

  1. (2) how many men and how many women inmates in borstals and prisons, respectively, attempted to commit suicide during each of the last 20 years for which records are available and at what ages;
  2. (3) how many inmates at each of the existing borstals have committed suicide and attempted to commit suicide, respectively, in each of the years since those borstals were opened.

Mr. Brittan

The number of inmates who committed suicide in prison service establishments in England and Wales in each of the years during the period 1969 to 1978 are shown in the table below; figures are also given for the numbers of inmates who attempted to commit suicide. The tables give a breakdown as between borstals and other prison service estab-

SUICIDES
Borstals Other establishments
Males Females Males Females
1969 3 (2 under 21) (1 21 and over) 18
1970 2 (1 under 21) (1 21 and over) 4 (including 1 under 21)
1971 13 (including 1 under 21)
1972 13 (including 1 under 21)
1973 14 (including 2 under 21)
1974 6 (including 1 under 21)
1975 1 (under 21) 12 1
1976 19 (including 1 under 21) 1
1977 11 (including 1 under 21)
1978 1 under 21 14 1
Individual borstals (including borstal allocation centers)
1969 Manchester BAC; Stoke Heath; Wormwood Scrubs BAC.
1970 Wormwood Scrubs BAC; Morton Hall (closed in 1974).
1975 Manchester BAC.
1978 Hindley.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDES
1969 75 3 374 10
1970 49 1 300 18
1971 42 1 314 16
1972 70 1 287 7
1973 56 3 278 9
1974 62 2 318 7
1975 63 6 355 18
1976 84 2 205 25
1977 22 6 199 25
1978 31 10 184 18

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