Deaths in Scottish prisons among highest in Europe
Deaths in Scotland's prisons have increased by 60% in the past year, a report has revealed.
The Scottish Centre for Criminal Justice Research (SCCJR) found 64 people died in jail in 2024 - up from 40 in 2023.
Researchers said the mortality rate had more than doubled over the past decade and was now among the highest in Europe.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said every death in custody was "a tragedy for all those who knew and supported the individual".
According to the report 17 of the deaths last year were suicides or apparent suicides, 10 were related to drugs, 27 were attributed to "health condition or incident", one was a homicide and one was categorised as "other/accident".
The remaining eight were undetermined or remain under investigation, it said.
The Glasgow University team behind the report said the overall level of deaths in custody last year was the highest since modern records began, in 1995, and almost certainly the highest ever.
"That rise is absolutely stunning. It's unprecedented," said Professor Sarah Armstrong who led the research.
The report also said prison deaths from suicide had been rising since 2016 and may have reached a record high last year.
Prof Armstrong said she was encouraged by the SPS reaction to a report into the deaths of Katie Allan, 21, and William Brown, 16, who took their own lives in Polmont Young Offenders Institution in 2018.
But she said there were issues with "organisational culture" in Scottish prisons and that there needed to be a move away from treating the level of deaths as normal.
Katie Allan's mother, Linda, is named as a co-author of the report.
She said:in a statement: "We need independent, timely investigations for every death that occurs while someone is in the care of the state."
The report said poor air quality, access to healthcare, extended periods locked in cells and increased isolation could "lead to a loss of hope."
Prof Armstrong said the team identified a recurring pattern in prison deaths with officers not adequately completing cell checks, health concerns being treated as "drug seeking behaviour" and signs of declining mental health "not being acted upon".
She added: "When we looked at international comparators our death rates are more like Azerbaijan and Moldova, where torture and corruption have been documented."
Prof Armstrong said it was "anomalous that we have one single state organisation that is immune from prosecution".
It comes after SPS head Teresa Medhurst said the prison service should face the possibility of criminal prosecution over deaths in custody - already the case for private prisons.
The SPS said it was ultimately for a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) to determine each cause of death, but added it published details of all deaths in custody which indicated there were 14 suicides in 2024, "the same level as in 2019 and 2022."
A spokesperson said: "We are determined to deliver systemic change, at pace, to how we support people in our care, in a way which will be enduring, transparent, and impactful."
An FAI is a legal requirement for any death in a Scottish prison.
The researchers said as well as deaths by suicide there were "numerous deaths from acute health events or from conditions which are normally manageable in the community".
They argued that pandemic restrictions "have a sustained legacy in Scottish prisons," with many inmates still locked in cells from late afternoon until the following morning.
"Such restrictions have been associated with intensifying isolation and deteriorating mental health," the researchers conclude.
"In that category of so-called natural causes deaths are 30 and 40-year-olds who are dying from things like heart attacks or from diabetes or epilepsy," said Prof Armstrong.
"Technology and new buildings are not going to fix this - it's the human element, it's the organisational culture, it's the relationships between people in prisons."
According to the report, there was one death of a trans woman in 2024 and the remaining 63 deaths were men.
It calculates that in 2022 – the most recent year for which comparable data are available – there was a rate of 592.8 prison deaths per 100,000 in Scotland compared to 368 per 100,000 in England and Wales.
The sharp increase in Scotland could not be explained by a rise in the prison population, said the researchers.
They pointed out that deaths had risen from 24 to 64 between 2014 and 2024 – a jump of 167% – while the number of prisoners had risen by around 4.5% in the same period.
"Nor can the increase be attributed entirely to the ageing of the prison population," the report adds.
Prof Armstrong noted that the prison population was also ageing in England and in the US, and yet neither country had seen a similar rise in deaths.
The report also examined deaths in other forms of "state custody" such as mental health facilities, detention centres for migrants and asylum accommodation, and among people with learning disabilities and autism.
It concludes that the "quality of information" about such deaths "continues to suffer from gaps, inconsistencies and errors," and calls for improvements.
The Scottish government said every death in custody was tragic and said it would "carefully consider the findings of this sobering annual report".
A spokesperson said: "The health and wellbeing of all those in custody is a priority for this Government and we continue to work with partners to ensure their safety.
"All of Sheriff Collins's recommendations in his determination of the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the deaths at Polmont YOI of Katie and William have been accepted and the work on these is being delivered at pace with progress closely monitored."
Private prison to face prosecution over Covid death
Safety action plan accepted after suicides at Polmont
Prison service boss says it should lose prosecution immunity
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man arrested over shooting of Scots in Spanish bar
A man suspected of murdering two senior figures from a Scottish organised crime group in a Spanish bar has been arrested. The BBC understands Michael Riley was taken into custody in Liverpool by Merseyside Police under an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish authorities. Ross Monaghan, 43, and Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46, were shot dead at Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola in the Costa Del Sol on 31 May. Both men were connected to the Lyons family, a major organised crime group based in the west of Scotland. The two men had been watching the Champions League final with friends when they were targeted at the bar on the Andalusian town's beachfront. Two Scots shot dead in Spain had criminal gang links No suggestion Spain shooting linked to gang feud - police Holidaymakers 'frightened' in surreal gang shooting aftermath According to medical reports, Eddie Lyons Jnr died after being hit by a single bullet outside the bar in front of friends and customers. CCTV also showed the gunman pursuing Monaghan inside the pub and firing more shots, leaving him fatally injured. Scottish detectives have been helping the Spanish police with their investigation, providing information on the men's backgrounds. In the wake of the killings, Police Scotland issued a statement saying there was no intelligence to suggest the deaths were linked to an ongoing gangland feud in the east and west of Scotland's central belt. More than 40 people have been arrested following a series of violent incidents, including alleged attempted murders and firebombings. The force also said there was nothing to suggest that the shooting was planned in Scotland. The Lyons clan have been locked in a long-running feud with the rival Daniels family. Monaghan was previously linked to the high-profile killing of feared Glasgow gangland figure Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll, an enforcer for the Daniels. He was accused of the murder in a Glasgow supermarket car park in 2010, but was later acquitted due to a lack of evidence. Monaghan was himself later shot in the shoulder as he dropped his daughter off at school in Glasgow in 2017. He is believed to have moved to Spain a short time later. Lyons Jnr was also shot and wounded in an attack in 2006, which was believed to have been carried out by Carroll. The two groups have traded a number of violent attacks for about 20 years.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man wanted in Tennessee caught during Priceville traffic stop
Jun. 13—Priceville police arrested a Tennessee man wanted by the Pulaski (Tennessee) Police Department during an Interstate 65 traffic stop Tuesday. According to the Police Department, officers conducted a traffic stop at about 10:42 p.m. near I-65 mile marker 335. During the interaction with the vehicle's occupants, an individual identified as Trevor Allen Armstrong, 20, of Columbia, Tennessee, provided false identifying information, Priceville PD said. Police said Armstrong eventually disclosed his true identity. Officers then found out the suspect had multiple active warrants for felony aggravated assault and domestic violence assault issued by the Pulaski PD. Officers then searched the vehicle and found a Glock 45 handgun, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Priceville police said. Armstrong was charged with being a person forbidden to possess a firearm and obstructing justice by using a false identity, police said. He was transported to the Morgan County Jail, where he was being held in lieu of $80,000 bail, along with a hold for Tennessee authorities. — or 256-340-2432
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police come under attack for fifth night in Northern Ireland
Police have come under attack for a fifth consecutive night in Northern Ireland, in what has been dubbed a 'week of shame' for the region. Petrol bombs were thrown at riot police deployed in Portadown on Friday night after a senior officer said there would be 'scaled up' policing presence across Northern Ireland in anticipation of further disorder over the weekend. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the mobilisation, which would include officers sent over from Scotland, was 'to reassure our communities and protect our streets'. Disorder started in Ballymena on Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the Co Antrim town at the weekend, and continued throughout the week. The unrest and riotous behaviour spread to other towns including Larne, Belfast and Coleraine. A number of homes were targeted, and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has said about 50 households have received assistance across the week, and 14 families provided with emergency accommodation. The focus of the violence shifted to Portadown on Thursday and continued on Friday – although at a lower intensity than scenes observed earlier in the week. Sixty-three police officers have been injured in the sustained disorder which led political leaders to call for calm during a meeting of the British Irish Council in Newcastle, Co Down, on Friday. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said everyone is condemning the disorder and calling for it to stop. 'What we have seen over the last four days has been devastation, has been horrific for those people targeted – this is women and children, these are families, at the brunt of racist, violent attacks, and it is wrong on every level,' she said. 'The whole of the Executive is united on that front.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly described a 'difficult time for Northern Ireland' with 'disgraceful scenes of violent disorder', and said her thoughts are with the residents of the areas affected. Additional police officers from Scotland will support the Police Service of Northern Ireland after a mutual aid request. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said it was an illustration of how cooperation between police forces is 'absolutely essential'. While disorder in Ballymena raged across Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night, it appeared to have abated on Thursday. However, there was still disorder in Portadown. There have also been incidents in other towns, including the burning of Larne Leisure Centre on Wednesday and an arson attack on a house in Coleraine in the early hours of Friday from which a man and woman, and four young children escaped. It is being treated by police as arson with a racially motivated hate element. Twenty-two police officers were injured in overnight disorder in Portadown after they came under sustained attack with heavy masonry, fireworks and beer kegs in the Co Armagh town on Thursday. A woman in her 50s and a man in his 30s were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and other offences in connection with the disorder in Portadown. There was also sporadic disorder elsewhere in Northern Ireland on Thursday night, following mainly peaceful protests, including in the Templemore Avenue area of east Belfast, where bricks were thrown through the windows of two houses in Avoniel Road in what police have called a racially motivated attack. A small fire at the Manse Road roundabout in Newtownabbey was also reported, and anti-immigration hate graffiti is being investigated in Newtownards. Meanwhile, a house fire in the Mount Street area of Coleraine which led to the evacuation of a family with three young children is being treated as deliberate and a racially motivated hate crime. The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said that since violence erupted in Ballymena on Monday, 63 officers have been injured. Federation chairman Liam Kelly said it has been 'a week of shame with appalling levels of unrest in towns and cities'. 'Burning people out of their homes, attacking a leisure centre, and the specific targeting of individuals and property fuelled by overt racism and prejudice, is totally deplorable,' he said. 'Yet again, our overstretched police officers have also been attacked with petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks as they sought to keep people safe and maintain law and order. 'They have held the line with great courage and professionalism and are owed a debt of gratitude by this community. 'They went to the aid of vulnerable people, have prevented further savage attacks and have undoubtedly saved lives.' Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned on Thursday that his officers would be coming after the 'bigots and racists' behind the disorder. He also said that the young girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena at the weekend had been 'further traumatised' by the rioting across the week.
