NCJ Number
192211
Date Published
2001
Length
86 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the rates and causes of death of prisoners within the prison system compared to those ex-prisoners under community supervision in England and Wales during 1996 and 1997.
Abstract
The study is divided into four sections. The first section focuses on the basic overview of the study and the purpose behind it. Some of the issues analyzed include the causes, nature, risk factors, and demographic characteristics of the deaths of prisoners and community offenders. The second section deals with the actual study and methods. A comparison approach between England and Wales, comparing death rates of prisoners and community offenders to the general population was used. Based on the results, in the third section it was determined that prisoners were more susceptible to suicide than the general population, at least during 1996 and 1997. It was also found that the community offenders were more vulnerable to violent death than those in prison, but had rates of suicide similar to those of prisoners. This phenomenon was explained by the greater accessibility to drugs in the community than in prison. The author discusses some steps that the penal system is taking to resolve the problem, and recommends that probation services and other agencies work collaboratively. Tables, appendices, and references