§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent proposal by the governor, medical officers and staff at Lewes prison that suicidal prisoners should be kept with others and supervised on a 24-hour basis by prison staff.
§ Mrs. RumboldIt is the general policy of the prison service that, where prisoners are identified as being at risk of suicide, they should wherever possible be kept in shared accommodation to reduce feelings of isolation, facilitate support and ensure more effective monitoring and supervision. The options include location in a multi-cell or in a dormitory or hospital ward. Some prisoners, however, cannot always be held with others because of their difficult122W or violent behaviour. It is a matter for governors and their staff to decide where individual prisoners should be located, taking into account the needs and behaviour of the prisoner, the degree of suicide risk (which will vary from time to time), and the facilities and staffing which are available. It is desirable for local prisons and remand centres to have the option of holding acutely suicidal prisoners in a ward with 24-hour supervision by staff. This is not yet feasible at a number of establishments, including Lewes, but it is the prison service's intention to work towards the introduction of such wards as the necessary resources become available.