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Prison suicides (3)

01 January 1991

Prison suicides
artdoc August=1993

Leicester Prison has been called the suicide capital of the
prison system by Inquest, the organisation which assists families
of those who die in custody. The latest death, which occurred in
June, was that of 24-year old Navnit Zinzuwadia who was found
hanging in the hospital wing of the prison. Navnit's death was
the fourth at the prison in the last six months. The others were:
Paul Ackers (14.12.92); Warren Jones (1.1.93) and Barry Samuels
(13.3.93). The prison regime has been criticised by the
campaigning group Prison Watch who demanded `a public review of
suicide prevention at Leicester Prison and publication of the
secret Home Office enquiries into the four deaths'. During 1992
there were 77 deaths in prisons in England and Wales, 42 of which
are believed to have been suicides. There were also 2,920
incidents of deliberate self-harm recorded. Prison Watch have
recorded 18 apparent suicides in the first six months of 1993.
Prison Watch Press Release No 054, 18.6.93.

Statewatch vol 3 no 4 July-August 1993