Deaths in Custody: Report, together with formal minutes

The Committee's report examines the causes of deaths in custody, and considers what may be done to prevent these deaths, and better protect the right to life and other human rights, of vulnerable people held in the custody of the state. Issues discussed include: human rights standards applicable under the European Convention on Human Rights; the scale of the problem and concerns relating to the wider penal system in which these deaths occur, including the issue of overcrowding in prisons and sentencing practice; risk assessment and management, including reception in police custody, immigration detention and the provision of physical and mental healthcare in detention; the use of physical restraint and seclusion; staffing and training issues; investigations into deaths in custody and inquiries. Recommendations include the establishment of a cross-departmental expert task-force on deaths in custody to monitor the topic, review good practice standards, publish information and to make recommendations to Government.