The prisons and probation ombudsman (PPO) will post weekly updates identifying those who have died, the prison where they were being held and the date of their death. Previously, details of those who have died inside prisons have not been released until an inquest has been held – which can take months or even years.
The move comes after self-inflicted deaths in prison soared by nearly a quarter last year, according to Ministry of Justice figures. Of 311 deaths in prison during 2023, 93 deaths were recorded as self-inflicted – a rise of 22 per cent on the previous year.
Self-harm incidents have also soared, with one recorded every seven minutes inside the nation’s prisons. Overall, there were 67,773 self-harm incidents in the 12 months to September 2023, up 17 per cent compared to the previous year.
Announcing the change, ombudsman Adrian Usher said he felt it was important to improve transparency and improve public confidence in investigations. He told The Independent: “Since I joined the PPO, it has been my goal to be more transparent about our work and in our investigations.
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