Publication of latest statistical analysis of recorded deaths in custody

The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC) has today (18 November 2021) published an analysis that, for the first time, presents and assesses deaths in custody through the calculation of population rates.

The IAPDC first published a statistical analysis of deaths in state custody in October 2011 to monitor trends, highlight vulnerable cohorts, and assess the impact of preventative measures in prisons, Immigration Removal Centres (IRC), police custody, and secure health settings (patients who have died while detained under the Mental Health Act).

The latest report sets out data and analyses mortality rates between 2016 to 2019. The new analysis by rate, developed by panel member Professor Seena Fazel and his colleague Dr Stella Botchway, allows for further interpretation of the data rather than simply considering the number of deaths. Its findings can better inform government ministers and other policy makers to meet their obligations to keep people safe in all forms of state custody.

The report highlights the high mortality rate for those detained in custody compared with the general population. It also demonstrates that one in five deaths in custody are self-inflicted, and that while most deaths in custody occur in prisons, when rates are considered, people detained under the Mental Health Act have the highest mortality rate.

Other key findings from the analysis include the proportion of deaths due to natural causes increasing in the older age groups, with relatively more self-inflicted deaths in the younger age groups. Further, while there were more deaths in men than women in all settings, when the accompanying rates are considered, the difference in deaths between men and women narrowed.

Missing data has the potential to obscure the underlying patterns of deaths, particularly if the data is not missing at random. It is important to note, for example, missing data on the ethnicity of people detained under the Mental Health Act. Improvements overall must still be made in the collection and recording of the self-report data on race and ethnicity.

“Focussed on data and analysis of figures, essentially this report is about the deaths of people. Each one is a tragedy, for the individual and for the family. Each one is a catastrophe for a public service and a government accountable for protecting lives in state custody. Overall, the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC) recognises and supports the considerable work that is done to prevent deaths in custody. We believe that more can, and must, be done to keep people safe and to avoid the devastation and cost, in every sense, of each loss of life.”

Juliet Lyon, chair of the IAPDC

IAPDC statistical analysis bulletins (PDF opens in new window)

You can follow Professor Seena Fazel on Twitter here.