Commenting on today's report from the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody on deaths in custody, Jon Collins, Senior Policy Officer at the Fawcett Society, said:

"This report shows that the Prison Service is struggling to cope with the current levels of overcrowding, and the number of self-inflicted deaths is continuing to rise. The high number of prisoners with mental health problems and the increased pressures caused by overcrowding are preventing the Prison Service from keeping prisoners safe.

"Women are more likely than men to take their own lives in prison. Seven women have already committed suicide in prison in England and Wales this year, more than in the whole of either of the last two years (1). How many more women prisoners must die before we stop sending vulnerable women, many of whom haven't even committed a violent offence (2), to prison?

"Prison for women is over-used, counterproductive - and far too often - fatal. Instead of futile stays in prison, we need a radical new approach that will properly rehabilitate women. The Government must act now to prevent the unnecessary deaths caused by imprisoning women."

Notes
(1) There were four self-inflicted deaths in custody in 2005 and three in 2006.
(2) Less than one-third (29%) of the 4,326 women in prison have committed violent offences.

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