Drop in deaths in county's jail

SUICIDES in the only prison in the area have reduced after a spike two years ago.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Jan 2017, 06:00 BST

HMP Winchester saw four deaths by suicide in 2015 but this reduced to one in 2016, figures revealed.

Overall deaths in the prison dropped from seven to five.

There were no suicides in 2013 but two in 2014, the Howard League for Penal Reform said.

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In England and Wales the figures increased to 119 in 2016 – the highest in a year since 1978.

The previous high was in 2004, with 96 deaths.

Chief executive Frances Crook said: ‘No one should be so desperate while in the care of the state that they take their own life, and yet every three days a family is told that a loved one has died behind bars.’