UK: Deaths in prison and under community supervision
01 November 2001
Two recent Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate reports detail statistics on deaths in prison and under community supervision. Key points in the reports are as follows:-
1. 1,503 offenders died in 1996-1997. Of these, 1,267 were in the community and 236 in prison. Standardised mortality rations showed that community offenders were almost four times more likely to die than the general population and prisoners were almost twice as likely to die as the general population.
2. Male community offenders had higher death rates than the prisoners for overall mortality, accidental death and homicide. This apparently reflects their greater opportunity to engage in anti-social and potentially life-threatening behaviour such as drug-taking, physical assaults and (drink-driving) related traffic accidents.
3. Death rates in the two offender groups were similar for natural causes and suicide/self-inflicted deaths.
4. Drugs and/or alcohol (as a main or contributing factor) accounted for a greater proportion of deaths among community offenders (46%) than prisoners (3%). Almost two-thirds of accidental deaths and around one third of suicide/self-inflicted deaths among community offenders could be traced to drugs and/or alcohol.
5. For both offender groups, natural deaths were most common among older offenders (45-54 and 55+) and violent deaths were most common amongst young offenders (15-24 and 25-34).
6. Those ex-prisoners who died while under the post-custodial supervision of the Probation Service tended to do so within the first few weeks after being released from prison. Over one-quarter of all deaths had occurred within four weeks of release and by 12 weeks over half of all deaths had occurred. Accidents (often involving drugs and alcohol) accounted for the largest proportion of these deaths. Past research has identified offenders in prison to be at higher risk of death than the general community and suicide the biggest killer of all prisoners. Risk factors include being young, male, unemployed before imprisonment, mentally ill, having substance mis-use problems and a history of self-harming. There is evidence to suggest that the early stages of custody are a vulnerable time for prisoners.
7. When examining the death of offenders, comparisons are often made with the general population; what is neglected in such comparisons is the fact that the prison population is disproportionately male, young, economically, physically and mentally disadvantaged and poorly educated.It is more meaningful to compare prisoners with other types of offender - those serving community sentences or ex-offenders being supervised in the community - in order to understand the additional impact being in prison has on death rates and causes.
There has been little research on the deaths of community offenders. Such research as has been done has found that: i) community offenders also have a higher risk of death than the general population; ii) community offenders in their 20s and 30s have the highest risk of violent death; iii) drugs and alcohol account for a large proportion of deaths among community offenders; iv) around half of all deaths of community offenders are accidental and one in five is due to suicide or self-harm.
Research Findings 153-Deaths of offenders in prison and under community supervision (http://www.homeoffice.go.uk/rds/pdfs/r153.pdf); Home Office Research Study 231-Rates and causes of death among prisoners and offenders under community supervision http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/pdfs/hors231.pdf