Written question asked by Helen Jones (Labour) on Tuesday, 17 May 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 May 2011. It was answered by Crispin Blunt (Conservative) on Monday, 23 May 2011 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Risley Prison: Suicide

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce the number of suicides at HMP Risley; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Each death in custody is a tragedy. The National Offender Management Service is committed to reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths in prison custody.Regrettably, there have been three self-inflicted deaths at HMP Risley in the last 12 months.There do not appear to be any immediate common factors between the three deaths. Unfortunately, clusters of deaths can occur randomly due to the relatively small numbers involved.Each death is subject to an investigation and, since 2004, these have been undertaken by the prisons and probation ombudsman. Strenuous efforts are made to learn from each death and improve our understanding and procedures for caring for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm.

Secondary information