244 die in custody in just one year

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today urged ministers to take action to cut deaths in custody after a new report found almost 250 deaths in just a single year.

The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice published a new report today, Nothing to See Here? Deaths in Custody and FAIs in Scotland-2023, which found that between October 2022 and September 2023, 244 people died while detained in custody or under the control of the state in Scotland. This represents an average of four deaths every week.

The report also contained findings about Scotland’s Fatal Accident Inquiry system, which is tasked with examining deaths in custody. It noted that as of September 2023, there have been no completed FAIs for anyone who has died of Covid in prison, nearly four years after the first such death occurred.

The report arrived as the head of the Scottish Prison Service Teresa Medhurst told the BBC’s Disclosure programme that prisons have now reached a “tipping point” and that the system “cannot take anymore.” She warned that pressures could result in the use of emergency powers to release inmates early.  

Mr McArthur said:

“Today’s findings make for disturbing reading. This is a startling number of deaths in mental health facilities and prisons. It's clear that there are lessons to be learned across the custodial network.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats have long campaigned to make our prisons humane and productive places by creating a properly funded justice system.

"That means giving hard-pressed prison staff the resources they need, including a roll out mental health professionals across the estate. It also means ensuring that when deaths tragically occur, there is a swift and robust system in place to ensure they are properly investigated.

“On the SNP’s watch, overcrowding in Scotland’s prisons is at record levels and long-promised mental health support has gone largely undelivered. These failures have led to greater levels of violence, increased incidents of self-harm and a rising volatility that puts immense pressure on every aspect of the system."