News

Deaths in custody are projected to rise significantly over the next five years, driven by a growing custodial population and continuing prison overcrowding. Our new report, published today, explores how increases in the prison population and occupancy pressures may affect future mortality trends across different causes of death, including deaths from self-inflicted causes and physical health-related deaths (such as cancer and heart disease).

Today we publish our workplan which sets out our priorities for 2025/26. We have committed to driving forward a wide range of key workstreams – spanning all the main areas of state detention – with the central aim of preventing both natural and self-inflicted deaths.

Ligature-related deaths continue to take too many lives across the prison estate. Our latest report, published today, examines long-term trends and strategies for reducing ligature deaths in prisons in England and Wales.

The latest figures highlight that far more must be done to reduce deaths and protect vulnerable individuals who are in contact with the criminal justice system and ensure the justice system consistently responds with care and compassion, and that it embeds learning from these deaths.

The Chief Inspector’s annual report, published today, is yet another sobering reminder of the deepening crisis in our prisons.

The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC) welcomes the recommendations of the Sentencing Review, particularly its focus on reducing reliance on custody and strengthening community alternatives.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) has today published updated guidance on preventing deaths in custody and following release.

Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS show a concerning rise in prison deaths, increasing by 10% to 342 deaths in 2024.

The Lord Chancellor has appointed Kate Eves OBE and Andrew Harris as members of the IAPDC from December 2024 to December 2027.

Lynn Emslie, Chair of the IAPDC, has today published her mid-term report which highlights progress made since she began her tenure in February 2023.