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