Human Rights and Prisons - Rethinking Crime and Punishment

control and restraint. Publicly available research on safety within prisons, and
the nature and impact of conflict-resolution practices, would be useful.
Self-Harm and Suicide
Law and policy framework
The Department of Corrections has a national policy (PPM B.14 Prisoners at
risk to themselves) that set out processes for identifying, observing and
managing at risk prisoners. This is referred to in the Prison Service Offender
Management Manual (Part Two).
The Corrections Act 2004 enables prison managers to segregate a prisoner
„in order to assess or ensure the prisoner's mental health (including, without
limitation, the risk of self-harm)‟ (s60(1)(b)). While in segregation, prisoners
assessed to be at risk of self-harm must be visited by a registered health
professional at least twice per day (s60(5)(b)).
Issues
Within academic literature, there has been ongoing work on the concerns of
suicides in custody. The following arguments are prominent:
First, that overcrowding and poor prison conditions dramatically raise the risk
of prisoner suicide (Huey and McNulty, 2005; Liebling, 2006; Owers, 2006b;
Sharkey, 2010). Huey and McNulty‟s (2005) study of 1,118 facilities in the
United States detailed that overcrowding always undermined prisoner wellbeing.
In the UK, Owers (2006b) notes that, in local prisons that faced
overcrowding, suicides correlated with prisoner distress and prisoner sense of
safety rather than prison officer vigilance in carrying out protective
procedures.
Second, that the prison population is also selected to be „at risk‟ (Borrill et al,
2005; Brown and Day, 2008; Haney, 2009; Liebling, 2006; Roe-Sepowitz,
2007; Simpson et al, 1999). Suicide attempters in prison are more likely to
report:
Family breakdown;
Fewer school qualifications – often linked to truancy as a result of
bullying (as opposed to boredom or peer pressure);
Frequent experience of violence, especially sexual abuse experiences;
Local authority placement as a result of family problems (as opposed to
offending);
Major alcohol and drug problems;
Very short periods spent in the community between custody.
Third, that prisons can isolate prisoners and thereby increase self-harm and
suicide attempts (Borrill et al, 2005; Liebling, 2006; Palmer and Connelly,
2005; Sandler and Coles, 2008; Sharkey, 2010). Those attempting suicide
are also likely to report:
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