Prison suicide toll reached 12 in 2002

Twelve young offenders committed suicide in prisons in 2002,
according to the latest figures published by the Howard League for
Penal Reform.

The figure includes one 16 year old, one 17 year old and 10 in the
18-20 age group, where poor regimes have been noted a number of
times by the chief inspector of prisons, Anne Owers.

Since 1990, 134 under-21s in prison have now killed
themselves.

Last May, Owers urged the government to provide more resources to
allow establishments to improve education, training and purposeful
activity for 18 to 20 year olds.

“These tragic deaths are inexcusable,” said Juliet Lyon, director
of the Prison Reform Trust. “These young prisoners are children in
distress and failed by all public services.”

Before Christmas, Social Services Inspectorate chief inspector
Denise Platt drew attention to the gaps in service provision for
the 9,000 18-20 year olds in the system identified in
Safeguarding Children, the joint report by eight
inspectorates.

– Statistics from http://web.ukonline.co.uk/howard.league/press/100103a.htm