Death Rate Up 20% In 10 Worst UK Prisons Over Past Year - Reports

Death rates are up almost a quarter in 10 of the most problematic prisons in the United Kingdom, media reported on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2019) Death rates are up almost a quarter in 10 of the most problematic prisons in the United Kingdom, media reported on Thursday.

According to The Guardian newspaper, citing data from the Justice Ministry's 10 Prisons Project, death rates among prisoners has jumped by 20 percent, with prisoner deaths rising from 34 to 41, and suicides from 14 to 15 between August 2018 and July 2019 compared to the year before.

Nevertheless, the Justice Ministry noted that there was a 16 percent decline in assaults per 1,000 prisoners, coupled with a 50 percent drop in positive drug test results.

The 10 Prisons Project was launched by the Justice Ministry in August 2018 to deal with the most acute problems facing the 10 worst prisons in the United Kingdom. The initiative provides additional staff and equipment, and helps renovate cells and communal areas.