Theresa May admits justice system fails families over deaths in police custody – The Guardian

‘The criminal justice system makes is too hard for families whose loved ones have died in police custody to get answers, according to a candid letter written by the home secretary to two families affected by such deaths.’

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The Guardian, 19th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

No convictions over 500 black and Asian deaths in custody – The Guardian

‘More than 500 black and ethnic minority individuals have died in suspicious circumstances while in state detention over the past 24 years, but not a single official has been successfully prosecuted, a report examining institutional racism has revealed.’

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The Guardian, 21st March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

What should we do with violent children? One secure home may have the answer – The Guardian

‘The young people locked up in Clayfields House have been convicted of serious crimes, from assault to murder. Under close supervision, many have turned their lives around – but now this unusual prison may be under threat.’

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The Guardian, 18th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK justice minister ‘complacent’ over 38% rise in prison deaths, say MPs – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2015 in budgets, death in custody, news, prison officers, prisons, sentencing, violence by sally

‘The justice secretary has been accused of complacency by a cross-party group of MPs for denying any link between prison staffing cuts and a sudden rise in self-inflicted deaths and violence inside jails in England and Wales.’

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The Guardian, 18th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Al-Sweady file exposes the smearing of British soldiers – Daily Telegraph

‘Evidence drawn up on David Cameron’s orders alleges that Public Interest Lawyers continued to pursue torture and murder claims for a year after realising that they may be “untrue”.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st March 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sixty five young adults and teenagers have died in prison in last four years, report finds – The Independent

Posted March 2nd, 2015 in death in custody, mental health, news, prisons, standards, statistics, suicide by sally

‘Sixty five young adults and teenagers have died in prison in four years, a new report reveals.’

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The Independent, 2nd March 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Too many deaths in custody are preventable but staff lack mental health expertise, says human rights body – The Independent

Posted February 23rd, 2015 in death in custody, human rights, inquiries, mental health, news, prisons, statistics, suicide by sally

‘Hundreds of deaths in psychiatric units, prisons and police cells between 2010 and 2013 were avoidable and were caused by repeated “basic errors” by staff ignorant of mental-health risks, human rights advocates have said.’

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The Independent, 23rd February 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Jimmy Mubenga: Judge refused to allow jury to hear about guards’ racist texts – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2014 in death in custody, evidence, immigration, juries, news, racism, telecommunications by sally

‘An Old Bailey judge refused to allow a jury to hear about dozens of “grossly offensive and undoubtedly racist” text messages on the phones of two of the G4S security guards acquitted of killing Jimmy Mubenga because they did not have “any real relevance” to the trial.’

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The Guardian, 17th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jimmy Mubenga’s widow shocked as security guards cleared of manslaughter – The Guardian

‘The widow of Jimmy Mubenga, the Angolan man who died after being physically restrained on a deportation flight, said she was “shocked and disappointed” by the acquittal of three private security guards who were charged with his killing.’

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The Guardian, 16th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Too many inmates ‘jailed needlessly’, says review chief – BBC News

Posted November 14th, 2014 in death in custody, mental health, news, prisons, statistics, suicide by tracey

‘Too many people are being jailed unnecessarily, the head of a review into prison suicides has said.Lord Harris claimed resources were being weakened, leaving vulnerable inmates unsupervised. It comes as the parents of a man who killed himself at a young offenders institution criticised authorities.’

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BBC News, 14th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Record number of prison deaths ‘due to cuts and overcrowding’ – The Independent

Posted October 31st, 2014 in budgets, death in custody, news, prisons, statistics, suicide by sally

‘The number of people dying in prison has risen to its highest level since records began more than 30 years ago, figures released by the Ministry of Justice show.’

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The Independent, 31st October 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Building a super-prison for children is a terrible idea – The Guardian

‘he Ministry of Justice’s bizarre plan includes a regime of physical punishment and restraint that would be a recipe for child abuse.’

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The Guardian, 17th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Grayling gives green light for staff to use force against inmates in new jail – The Guardian

‘Chris Grayling is to defy an appeal court judgement and order that staff should be able to use force to restrain teenage inmates for “the purposes of good order and discipline” at his proposed £85m privately run “super-child jail.” The proposed rule for the justice secretary’s 320-place “secure college” comes despite a court of appeal ruling in 2008 which banned the use of force after it was linked to the deaths and injury of several children in custody, including the death of a 14-year-old Gareth Myatt.’

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The Guardian, 16th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sean Rigg custody death: Police perjury charges dropped – BBC News

‘Two police officers will not face charges of perjury, perverting the course of justice or collusion in relation to a death of a prisoner.’

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BBC News, 7th October 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police officer in Sean Rigg case not allowed to resign, court rules – The Guardian

‘A police constable under investigation following the death of a mentally ill musician has lost a legal battle to be allowed to resign in order to become a Church of England minister.’

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The Guardian, 25th September 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Call for inquiry into death at Morton Hall immigration detention centre – The Guardian

‘The family of a 26-year-old man who died at an immigration detention centre have called for an urgent independent inquiry saying they have concerns about the circumstances surrounding his death.’

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The Guardian, 7th September 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Epileptic teenager died in police custody after officers failed to notice seizures on CCTV, report finds – The Independent

‘A young father died after police failed to notice him having three epileptic seizures in custody, it has emerged.

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The Independent, 8th August 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Concern’ over more than fifth of prisons – BBC News

Posted August 1st, 2014 in death in custody, fugitive offenders, news, prisons, statistics, suicide by sally

‘The performance of more than a fifth of prisons in England and Wales is “of concern”, a government body has said.’

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BBC News, 31st July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Kingsley Burrell death: ‘insufficient evidence’ to prosecute – BBC News

‘Prosecutors say there is “insufficient evidence” to charge anyone after the death of a man detained under the Mental Health Act.’

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BBC News, 1st July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police failures partly blamed for Hywel Hughes’ custody death – BBC News

Posted June 27th, 2014 in death in custody, inquests, news, police by tracey

‘The death of a man in police custody after he was ejected from a Bangor nightclub in 2003 was partly due to failures by two police officers who arrested him, an inquest has concluded.’

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BBC News, 26th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk