News

A woman found hanging in her prison cell this week was the first woman to die in custody this year, writes Maria Ahmed.

Victoria Robinson was on suicide watch at New Hall prison, near Wakefield when she was found by staff and pronounced dead after 45 minutes.

In 2004, there were three self-inflicted deaths at the prison – a quarter of the total number of women who died in custody last year.

A demonstration to protest against the death of Victoria Robinson will be held outside New Hall prison on February 10.

The announcement came as an inquest began into the death of Jolene Willis, who died at HMP Styal in April 2003.

Willis was the fourth woman to die in a 12-month period at the prison between August 2002 and August 2003.

Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST said: “This shameful and relentless death toll exposes a crisis in women’s prisons, and the numbers of women being sent to prisons that cannot protect their right to life.”