§ Lord Harris of Greenwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many case of suicide there have been amongst prisoners in each of the past three years, and in which prisons those deaths occurred.
§ Baroness BlatchResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter to Lord Harris of Greenwich from the Director of Personnel of the Prison Service, Mr. David Scott, dated 25th July 1996.
Lady Blatch has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of suicides that have occurred amongst prisoners in each of the past three years.
All self-inflicted deaths do not necessarily conclude with a verdict of suicide. The statistics provided therefore include deaths where verdicts of accidental death, open and misadventure were reached.
172WAThe attached table shows the total number of self-inflicted deaths that have occurred amongst prisoners in each of the past three years and in which prisons those deaths occurred.
173WA
Establishment 1993 1994 1995 1996 Acklington — — 1 — Albany — 1 — — Ashwell — — 1 — Aylesbury — — 1 — Bedford — 1 2 — Belmarsh 1 — 2 — Birmingham — 1 2 1 Blakenhurst — — 1 — Blundeston — — 2 — Brinsford — 1 — 1 Bristol 2 — 1 1 Brixton 1 3 — 1 Bullingdon — — 1 1 Canterbury 1 — — — Cardiff — 2 — — Chelmsford — 1 1 — Dartmoor 1 1 — 2 Deerbolt — — — — Doncaster — 2 2 1 Dorchester — — — 2 Dover — — 1 — Downview — — 1 — Durham 1 — — 1 Elmley — 1 — — Erlestoke — — 2 — Exeter 4 1 2 — Featherstone — — 1 — Feltham — — 1 — Frankland — — 1 — Full Sutton — — 1 — Garth — 1 1 — Gartree — 1 — 1 Glen Parva — — — 1 Gloucester — — 1 — Grendon — 2 1 — Haverigg — — 1 — Highdown 1 1 4 1 Hindley 1 — — — Holloway 1 — 2 — Holme House 2 — — 1 Hull 1 2 1 1 Kirkham — — — 1 Leeds 2 1 1 — Leicester 3 3 1 — Lewes 1 — 1 — Lincoln 3 1 2 1 Lindholme 1 — — 1 Littlehey — — — — Liverpool 2 5 1 2 Long Lartin 1 1 1 1 Low Newton — 2 2 — Maidstone — — — — Manchester 2 2 — 4 Moorland — 3 — — New Hall — 1 — — Norwich 2 — 4 — Nottingham 1 — 1 — Parkhurst 1 2 — — Pentonville — — 2 1 Portland — 1 — 1 Preston — 1 1 — Risley — 1 — — Shepton Mallet 1 — — — Shrewsbury — 1 — 1 Stafford — — — — Stocken — — — 1 Stoke Heath — — 1 — Styal — — — — Swaleside — 1 — — 174WA
Establishment 1993 1994 1995 1996 Swansea — 1 1 — The Mount — — 1 1 The Verne — 1 — — Usk — 1 — — Wakefield 3 1 1 — Wands worth 2 4 — — Wellingborough — — — — Wetherby 1 — — — Whatton — — 1 — Whitemoor — — 1 —
Establishment 1993 1994 1995 1996 Winchester 1 1 — 2 Wolds 1 — 1 1 Woodhill 1 1 — — Wormwood Scrubs — 4 — 1 P.E.C.S. (Prison Escort Court Custody Service) — — — 1 Total number of deaths per year 47 62 60 38 The total of 1996 figures include all self-inflicted deaths up to and including 17th July 1996.