Punishment First Verdict Later:
A Review of Conditions for Remand Prisoners in Scotland at the End of the 20th Century

ANNEX 1
SUICIDE IN SCOTTISH PRISONS - 1986 TO 1999

1. The total number of suicides in remand establishments between 1986 and March 1999 was 107 - i.e. 42 convicted and 65 remands - with the majority being by hanging.³⁸

2. Recent figures for deaths among remand prisoners - 11 out of 17 in 1996-97 and 6 out of 13 in 1997-98 - continue to indicate a very high rate, with most tragedies tending to take place in the early stages of custody.

3. The high rate could be because remands account for a very significant proportion of the SPS's annual throughput of prisoners. Equally, under Prison Rules remands are not required to work, which means that in most establishments these individuals are locked in their cells for long periods. This may allow some to indulge in morbid contemplation, in addition to which their particular situation includes the added anxiety of not always knowing how long the period of custody will last or the outcome of any subsequent trial.

4. It is also possible that there could be a connection between the high throughput rates at remand prisons and the fact that staff may not always get the opportunity to establish close supervision or relationships in a situation where individuals already have a previous (though not necessarily declared) history of self harm.

5. More detailed statistics on fatalities are as follows:

(i) Remand Establishments (Total 107 deaths)

(# = Remand § = Convicted)

(ii) Other Establishments (Total 12 deaths)

• In the period 1986-99, there were no suicides in any of the category 'C' prisons, small units or open prisons.
• Over the same period, five suicides occurred at YOIs and seven at the three long term prisons.

Attempted Suicide

6. We have been unable to obtain accurate figures for the number of attempted suicides over this period. However, these are known to be far in excess of the figures for fatalities.