London: The number of prisoners who took their own lives in England and Wales from 2013-14 increased by 64 per cent, according to an independent investigation released on Thursday.
The prisons complaint watchdog Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) on Thursday issued the annual report (2013-14), saying there were 90 apparently self-inflicted deaths in one year, with a troubling increase of 64 per cent more than the previous year, Xinhua reported.
The major increase in suicides was among adult male prisoners, while the biggest rise was among 25-30-year-old males.
Most deaths in custody were from natural causes, the investigation explained, as the population of prisoners over 60 is fast growing.
In addition, there were four homicides occurred in custody, twice as many as the year before.
"We cannot yet offer a definitive explanation for the increase, but the case studies and learning lessons material provided in this annual report illustrate that some sadly familiar issues continue to recur," Nigel Newcomen, the ombudsman said.
He said that there have been too many instances of prisons failing to adequately identify the risk of suicide posed by prisoners, despite clear warning signs being present. Even where risk of suicide was identified, monitoring arrangements and case reviews were too often inadequate.
"The prison system is undeniably facing enormous challenges," he said, adding "a rising suicide rate in prison reflects the state's difficulty in discharging its duty of care to some of the most vulnerable in its charge".
However, the total number of complaints received by PPO last year dropped to 4,879,495 fewer than the previous year.
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