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Suicides and self-harm
Key facts and figures
Last year 36 people awaiting trial committed suicide – this is the equivalent of a death every ten days. It is a rise of 56 per cent on the previous year.
At the end of August, 19 remand prisoners had already taken their own lives.
Overall more than a third (38 per cent) of prison suicides in England and Wales last year were committed by people on remand.
Remand prisoners are often very vulnerable and suffer from high levels of depression and mental illness. Many will have already tried to kill themselves. (link to page with mental health info).
According to research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more than a quarter of male remand prisoners have attempted suicide at some stage in their life. For women on remand the figure is even higher. More than 40 per cent have attempted suicide before entering prison (Link to ONS site).
Some people awaiting trial are so distressed that they harm themselves whilst in prison. On average 72 remand prisoners self-harm each month.
The kind of self-harm inflicted can range from incidents such as scratching, biting, banging against a wall to those involving self-strangulation and cutting arteries.


A tragic young death

 Twenty year old John (not his real name) had been in a young offenders remand centre for just over a week. He had been moved from an adult prison where he had been held for two months on remand.

John had been accused of a string of motoring offences. But he had been remanded into custody awaiting trial because he was considered a possible danger to the community. This was because when officers had arrived at his family home to arrest him, he had held them off for thirty hours in a siege involving the police firearms unit, following a report that he might have a gun.
"In July an inquest jury returned a verdict that John killed himself when the balance of his mind was disturbed. His family say they cannot understand why he was taken off suicide watch. They want more answers and are considering suing the Prison Service."
 
It was mid-morning in January and John found himself alone in his shared cell in the young offenders remand centre, he was very unsettled. His cellmate was attending a physical education course.
He was feeling particularly desperate and depressed. Some time later that morning he was found hanging suspended from the cell window by a bed sheet.

When John first arrived at the young offenders remand centre he was very unsettled. He had a history of depression and in the past had taken two overdoses. He complained about the staff and was placed in the hospital wing under CCTV observation.

After a peaceful first night he was placed on a normal wing but was under regular observation. A week later he was taken off suicide watch. Twenty four hours later he was dead.

In July an inquest jury returned a verdict that John killed himself when the balance of his mind was disturbed. His family say they cannot understand why he was taken off suicide watch. They want more answers and are considering suing the Prison Service.


The Reform Remand campaign organised by the Prison Reform Trust, is calling for:

  • An improvement in the treatment of, and conditions for, people held in prison awaiting trial

  • A reduction in the needless use of custodial remand

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