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Written Question
Wandsworth Prison: Death
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many deaths have been recorded at HMP Wandsworth since 30 June 2023.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

Deaths recorded by prison are published as part of our Safety in Custody statistics, updated quarterly, and available in the Deaths Data Tool at the following link: Safety in custody: quarterly update to September 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Please note that deaths at Wandsworth are currently published from 30 June 2023 – end of December 2023. Figures to the end of March 2024 are not due for publication until April 2024 and cannot be released at this time.

Deaths in prison custody figures include all deaths of prisoners arising from incidents during prison custody. They include deaths of prisoners while released on temporary license (ROTL) for medical reasons but exclude other types of ROTL where the state has less direct responsibility.

In addition to deaths in prison custody which occur in hospitals, hospices or nursing homes, a small proportion will occur while in an ambulance on the way to hospital, while the prisoner is under escort.

Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners.

We have implemented a revised version of the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) case management approach across the prison estate. Revisions in ACCT v6 include a stronger emphasis on taking a person-centred approach; better multi-disciplinary team working; a consistent quality assurance process and an improved focus on identifying and addressing an individual’s risks, triggers and protective factors.

We are implementing a new safety training package for staff. It brings together related safety topics, including suicide and self-harm prevention and understanding risks, triggers and protective factors.

We fund Samaritans through a grant providing total funding of just under £2 million between 2022 and 2025. This is primarily for the delivery of the Listener scheme (through which selected prisoners are trained to provide support to fellow prisoners in emotional distress).

We have also worked with Samaritans to develop a postvention response to providing support in the period following a self-inflicted death in order to reduce the risk of further deaths. This has been successfully piloted and the renewed grant includes funding for this service to be maintained until March 2025.


Scottish Parliament Debate - Main Chamber
Portfolio Question Time - Wed 05 Jun 2024

Mentions:
1: None To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the needs and welfare of women prisoners - Speech Link
2: McNeill, Pauline (Lab - Glasgow) The cabinet secretary will know that the practice is particularly retraumatising for female prisoners - Speech Link
3: Dowey, Sharon (Con - South Scotland) Beal, the governor of HMP Glenochil, has said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with prisoners - Speech Link
4: Constance, Angela (SNP - Almond Valley) of community safety and security in our establishments and ensure better care for elderly long-term prisoners - Speech Link
5: None There are inherent challenges in death investigations, which are not unique to Scotland. - Speech Link


Select Committee
Reprieve
MUL0021 - International relations within the multilateral system

Written Evidence May. 24 2024

Inquiry: International relations within the multilateral system
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Foreign Affairs Committee (Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

Found: Over the past 20 years Reprieve has provided legal and investigative support to hundreds of prisoners


Non-Departmental Publication (Statistics)
HM Prison and Probation Service

Apr. 25 2024

Source Page: Safety in custody: quarterly update to December 2023
Document: (Excel)

Found: deaths.(8) In the case of drug related deaths where no intent to self-harm has been discovered, the death


Departmental Publication (Statistics)
Ministry of Justice

Apr. 25 2024

Source Page: Safety in custody: quarterly update to December 2023
Document: (Excel)

Found: deaths.(8) In the case of drug related deaths where no intent to self-harm has been discovered, the death


Commons Chamber
Sentencing Review and Prison Capacity - Tue 22 Oct 2024
Ministry of Justice

Mentions:
1: Shabana Mahmood (Lab - Birmingham Ladywood) Every year, our prison population grows by around 4,500 prisoners. - Speech Link
2: Edward Argar (Con - Melton and Syston) I hope the review’s terms of reference might include not just male prisoners, but female prisoners and - Speech Link
3: Shabana Mahmood (Lab - Birmingham Ladywood) Fewer than 20 prisoners have been housed in hotels, and at a very low cost. - Speech Link
4: Ashley Fox (Con - Bridgwater) In the first wave of early releases, 37 prisoners were wrongly released. - Speech Link
5: James Wild (Con - North West Norfolk) Parliament legislated for a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving - Speech Link


Written Statements
Interim Compensation Payments for Victims of Infected Blood - Thu 24 Oct 2024
Cabinet Office

Mentions:
1: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Lab - Torfaen) Every death that results from the infected blood scandal is a tragedy, and this Government are committed - Speech Link


Deposited Papers

Sep. 16 2009

Source Page: National Partnership Agreement between the Department of Health and the Home Office for the accountability and commissioning of health services for prisoners in public sector prisons in England. 18 p.
Document: DEP2009-2390.pdf (PDF)

Found: Department of Health and the Home Office for the accountability and commissioning of health services for prisoners


Written Question
Prisoners' Release
Tuesday 21st May 2024

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people released on an End of Custody Supervised Licence were subsequently (a) recalled back to prison and (b) subject to a Death Under Supervision Review in each month since October 2023.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases such as deaths of offenders in the community.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) carries out independent investigations into complaints and deaths in custody. This includes deaths of recently released prisoners that occur within 14 days of release from prison (except homicide).

Fatal Incident reports are published on the PPO website - Fatal Incident reports | Document Types | Prisons & Probation Ombudsman (ppo.gov.uk)


Non-Departmental Publication (Statistics)
HM Prison and Probation Service

Apr. 25 2024

Source Page: Safety in custody: quarterly update to December 2023
Document: (PDF)

Found: - 13 - The incident reporting sys tem only contains details of prisoners.