New figures on prison deaths released by the Office for National Statistics have shown the risk of male prisoners dying by suicide was 3.9 times higher than for the general male population.
The latest figures, released this week, covered the period from 2008 to 2019 for drug-releated deaths and suicide in prison custody in England and Wales.
There was a total of 2,714 deaths in that time – equivalent to 226 a year – with 677 caused by suicide; 657 male and 20 female.
The ONS said the analysis should not be seen to indicate risk of suicide changes specifically because of being in prison custody but highlighted previous research, published in 2021, on Risk factors for suicide in prisons: a systematic review and metal-analysis which has shown aspects of the prison experience may contribute to a higher risk – such as history of self-harm, single-cell occupancy, remand status and offence type.
Criminal justice is one of the 13 themes identified in WY HCP’s Suicide Prevention Programme’s five-year suicide prevention strategy. We are currently embarking on work with prisons healthcare provider Practice Plus Group and local authority suicide prevention leads, to look at what more can be done in West Yorkshire prisons and Young Offender Institutions.