Prison suicides in England, Wales record high: Ministry of Justice

A record number of people killed themselves in prisons in England and Wales in 2016, figures released Thursday in London by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) revealed.

The Ministry of Justice said last year there were 119 self-inflicted deaths in British prisons, 29 more than in 2015.

Prisoners in Britain were killing themselves at a rate of more than two a week during 2016, figures show.

The MoJ also said there were a a record high of 37,784 self-harm incidents and 25,049 assault incidents in prisons last year.

One prison in Milton Keynes, recorded seven suicides, the highest number of any other prison, with five deaths in Bristol prison.

Official figures show that prisons in Britain are almost filled to capacity, with the 85,058 prisoners representing 98 percent of the prison capacity. More than 81,000 prisoners are men.

Overcrowding in prisons has led to a number of disturbances in the past few months with prison staff warning the prison system was in meltdown because of the overcrowding.

Frances Crook, CEO of the charity, the Howard League for Penal Reform, described the suicide rate as a national scandal.

She commented: "The suicide rate in prisons is 10 times that in the community. So prisons are actually killing people. That shouldn't happen in our prisons."

Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust called for a reduction of prison population as the only realistic way to make prisons safe in the foreseeable future.

The Secretary of State for Justice, Liz Truss, responding to the suicide figures, said: "Since becoming Justice Secretary, I have been clear that the violence, self-harm and deaths in our prisons are too high." Endit