Self-inflicted Deaths in Custody

Wednesday 1st July 2015 Written Statements

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Michael Gove)]

We are today publishing the independent review report into self-inflicted deaths of young adults aged 18 to 24 in National Offender Management Service (NOMS) prison custody. The review, announced to this House on 6 February 2014 by the coalition Government, was carried out by the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody under the leadership of Lord Harris of Haringey.

I wish to thank Lord Harris of Haringey and the independent advisory panel for their work on this important review. Every death in custody is a tragedy. I thank the families of those who have taken their own lives, who gave evidence to this review in order to help avoid this happening to another family.

The independent report makes wide-ranging recommendations about the care and management of vulnerable young adults in custody to reduce the risk of future deaths. We will consider these carefully and respond to the report in the autumn.

[HCWS75]