NCI publish study into self inflicted deaths in prison
The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness have published a national study of self-inflicted deaths in prisons between 1997 and 2007. Some of the key findings of the study were:
- 766 self inflicted deaths occured among prisoners in 110 prisons, averaging 85 deaths per year.
- 9 self-inflicted deaths occured under the care of the Prison Escort Custody Service and the majority of these were in court cells
- 705 self inflicted deaths were by hanging or self strangulation
- 696 self inflicted deaths were male, and there was a male to female ratio of nearly 10:1
- 102 prisoners were from a Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) group.
- 361 prisoners had one or more psychiatric diagnosis/es recorded.
- 226 prisoners had a history of NHS mental health service contact.
