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The Government believes that prisons should be places of safety and reform. As part
of this, reducing the incidence of suicide is a key priority. Our recent White Paper
sets out the specific steps that we are taking to improve safety. They include investing
over £100m to recruit an additional 2,500 staff across the estate by the end of 2018.
The National Offender Management Service has launched a suicide and self-harm reduction
project, led by an experienced prison governor, which is driving work in this area.
This includes implementing the recommendations of a review of the Assessment, Care
in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process, the multi-disciplinary case management process
that is the main tool for managing prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm. Providing
the right intervention and treatment is vital to improving the outcomes for people
who are in distress, and all prisons have established procedures in place to identify,
manage and support people at risk of suicide or self-harm. But we recognise that more
can be done. That is why we have invested in specialist mental health training for
prison officers and allocated more funding for prison safety. These improvements and
reforms will benefit prisoners who are vulnerable, suffering from mental health problems
or at risk of committing suicide.
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