Mr. Alan WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates young offenders have committed suicide while(a) in prison and (b) in secure
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Deaths of Young People in HM Prison Service establishments since 1981 (until 16 October 1990) Establishment Age Date of death Date of inquest Verdict Aylesbury 18 20 September 1981 — Misadventure Rochester 16 30 December 1981 — Suicide Canterbury 18 20 January 1982 — Suicide Ashford 18 7 July 1982 — Lack of Care Stoke Heath 19 11 October 1982 — Suicide Lewes 18 23 November 1982 — Suicide Canterbury 20 21 October 1982 — Suicide Thorp Arch 19 3 February 1983 — Misadventure Manchester 16 15 March 1983 — Suicide Leeds 20 13 July 1983 — Suicide Winchester 20 7 April 1984 — Misadventure Swansea 17 19 May 1984 — Suicide Pentonville 19 20 June 1984 — Suicide Swansea 19 9 October 1985 — Suicide Swansea 19 24 March 1985 — Misadventure Portland 20 26 September 1985 — Open Risley 18 12 October 1985 — Suicide Exeter 19 13 January 1986 — Suicide Ashford 19 20 March 1986 — Suicide Liverpool 19 9 June 1986 — Open Lewes 19 25 August 1986 — Accidental death Risley 20 17 September 1986 — Suicide Canterbury 20 8 January 1987 — Suicide Ashford 20 7 March 1987 — Suicide Stoke Heath 20 5 April 1987 — Suicide Rochester 17 14 July 1987 — Suicide Risley 18 23 August 1987 — Suicide Stoke Heath 19 28 August 1987 — Suicide Camp Hill 20 19 December 1987 — Suicide Rochester 18 24 March 1988 21 July 1988 Open Risley 20 11 May 1988 24 November 1988 Suicide Leeds 17 28 May 1988 24 August 1988 Suicide Leeds 18 29 June 1988 19 October 1988 Suicide Manchester 20 22 September 1988 11 January 1989 Open Shrewsbury 19 19 October 1988 24 January 1989 Suicide Leeds 19 19 October 1988 9 November 1988 Suicide Glen Parva 17 24 October 1988 7 December 1988 Suicide Leeds 19 30 November 1988 25 January 1989 Suicide Castington 19 11 January 1989 1 September 1989 Accidental death Wellingborough 19 12 January 1989 11 May 1989 Accidental death Leeds 18 16 February 1989 26 April 1989 Suicide Risley 19 25 March 1989 1 February 1990 Open Lewes 19 28 April 1989 21 June 1989 Suicide Manchester 18 15 May 1989 8 November 1989 Suicide Rochester 18 1 October 1989 26 March 1990 Suicide Hindley 19 31 October 1989 26 March 1990 Suicide Swansea 18 4 November 1989 3 May 1990 Suicide Manchester 19 23 December 1989 8 May 1990 Suicide Glen Parva 19 24 December 1989 28 February 1990 Suicide Winchester 19 14 February 1990 24 July 1990 Open Hindley 18 18 February 1990 25 May 1990 Suicide Hindley 18 25 June 1990 —1 — accommodation in the last 10 years; on what date each inquest took place; what was the average time between suicide and inquest (i) for those who committed suicide while in custody and (ii) for those not in custody; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe dates on which persons under the age of 21 (both convicted and unconvicted) have died at their own hand while in prison custody in the last 10 years, and the details of the inquests into those deaths, are set out in the table. The dates on which inquests were held prior to 1988 are not readily available and I shall write to the right hon. Member. For the years for which the information is available the average time between death and inquest is 134 days. Information about deaths in local authority secure accommodation is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health. Information about the average time between death and inquest for people who commit suicide while not in prison custody is not available.
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Establishment Age Date of death Date of inquest Verdict Hindley 18 25 June 1990 —1 — Swansea 15 13 July 1990 —1 — Leeds 17 12 August 1990 31 October 1990 — Hull 20 29 September 1990 —1 — 1 Dates have not yet been fixed for the inquests in these cases.
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the support to bereaved parents of prisoners who commit suicide in prison.
§ Mrs. RumboldWhere an inmate dies in prison custody the governor is required, under prison and young offender institution rules, to inform at once the inmate's spouse or next of kin and also any person whom the prisoner may reasonably have asked should be informed. Governors are expected to exercise care and sensitivity in notifying relatives and responding to their questions and concerns.
We are currently preparing new guidance on the making of visits to bereaved relatives. The purpose of such visits would be to convey sympathy, to follow up matters of concern to the family and to provide information, where appropriate, about specialist bereavement services which are available in the community. We are also exploring the possibility of providing special training for selected members of prison staff by way of preparation for such visits.