More than 100 people have killed themselves in prisons in England and Wales so far this year, , according to penal reform groups, prompting warnings of a mental health epidemic within the incarcerated population. “The previous high was in 2004 when 96 deaths by suicide were recorded.”Crookwho is meeting the justice secretary, Elizabeth Truss, on Monday, said: “The number of people dying by suicide in prison has reached epidemic proportions. A joint report, Preventing Prison Suicide by the Howard League and the Centre for Mental Health, links the rise in the number of prison suicides to cuts to staffing and budgets and the rise in the number of people in prison that has resulted in overcrowding.] Prison deaths Prison deaths“Violence has increased and safety has deteriorated. That is why have invested in specialist mental health training for prison officers, allocated more funding for prison safety and have launched a suicide and self-harm reduction project to address the increase in self-inflicted deaths and self-harm in our prisons.”

Source: The Guardian November 28, 2016 00:01 UTC