Prisoner suicides surge by 23%, official figures reveal

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Prisoner suicides have surged by 23 per cent across England and Wales in the past year, official figures reveal. In a damning annual report, the Prison and Probation Ombudsman said self-inflicted deaths increased from 74 in 2017/18 to 91 last year, marking a stark reversal of a 37 per cent reduction in the 12 months before. Ms McAllister said the delay in responding to the prisoner was “unacceptable”, and that it had been wrongly dismissed as “just another drugs related-incident.” The ombudsman also said that, while it was not possible to give a precise figure on the number of drug-related deaths, "one of the most worrying aspects" of its report was "the apparent ease with which prisoners were able to access drugs". “We are also spending £100m on improved security measures to stop drugs which fuel violence and self-harm, improving support during the often difficult first few days in custody, investing £2.5bn in modern prison places which support effective rehabilitation and have recruited almost 4,400 more staff in the last three years.”