Information on numbers of deaths in prisons—excluding all current single function young offender institutions is contained in the following table and associated notes. Establishments change and combine functions from time to time. Working out the precise make-up of the male, female and YOI estates over the 10 years and matching that to the timings of deaths could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Cause of death Age group Gender Number of deaths 1997 Homicide 21-25 Male 2 Natural Causes 21-25 Male 1 Natural Causes 26-29 Male 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 5 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 10 Natural Causes 50-59 Female 1 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 11 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 17 Other non-natural 30-39 Male 1 Self-inflicted1 18-20 Female 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 1 Self-inflicted 21-25 Female 1 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 11 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 14 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 19 Self-inflicted 40-49 Female 1 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 7 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 2 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 2 1998 Homicide 30-39 Male 2 Homicide 40-49 Male 1 Natural Causes 21-25 Female 1 Natural Causes 21-25 Male 3 Natural Causes 26-29 Male 4 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 3 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 7 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 11 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 17 Other non-natural 18-20 Male 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 7 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 9 Self-inflicted 26-29 Female 1 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 16 Self-inflicted 30-39 Female 2 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 32 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 6 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 2 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 1 1999 Natural Causes 21-25 Female 1 Natural Causes 21-25 Male 1 Natural Causes 26-29 Male 5 Natural Causes 30-39 Female 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 9 Natural Causes 40-49 Female 2 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 8 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 13 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 18 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 2 Self-inflicted 21-25 Female 2 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 13 Self-inflicted 26-29 Female 1 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 18 Self-inflicted 30-39 Female 2 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 32 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 9 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 1 2000 Homicide 21-25 Male 1 Homicide 30-39 Male 1 Natural Causes 26-29 Male 4 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 6 Natural Causes 40-49 Female 1 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 10 Natural Causes 50-59 Female 1 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 13 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 27 Other non-natural 30-39 Male 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Female 3 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 4 Self-inflicted 21-25 Female 3 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 12 Self-inflicted 26-29 Female 1 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 10 Self-inflicted 30-39 Female 1 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 25 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 9 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 3 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 1 2001 Natural Causes 21-25 Male 4 Natural Causes 26-29 Male 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Female 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 9 Natural Causes 40-49 Female 1 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 11 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 11 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 30 Other non-natural 30-39 Male 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Female 2 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 3 Self-inflicted 21-25 Female 2 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 9 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 10 Self-inflicted 30-39 Female 1 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 21 Self-inflicted 4'0-49 Female 1 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 11 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 4 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 2 2002 Natural Causes 18-20 Male 1 Natural Causes 21-25 Male 3 Natural Causes 26-29 Female 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 6 Natural Causes 40-49 Female 1 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 12 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 18 Natural Causes 60 and over Female 1 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 23 Other non-natural 21-25 Male 1 Other non-natural 30-39 Male 1 Other non-natural 40-49 Male 1 Self-inflicted 15-17 Male 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Female 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 4 Self-inflicted 21-25 Female 2 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 15 Self-inflicted 26-29 Female 2 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 10 Self-inflicted 30-39 Female 2 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 28 Self-inflicted 40-49 Female 1 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 14 Self-inflicted 50-59 Female 1 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 7 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 1 2003 Homicide 30-39 Male 1 Natural Causes 21-25 Male 3 Natural Causes 26-29 Male 2 Natural Causes 30-39 Female 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 11 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 13 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 19 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 37 Other non-natural 21-25 Male 1 Other non-natural 40-49 Male 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Female 4 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 2 Self-inflicted 21-25 Female 3 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 14 Self-inflicted 26-29 Female 3 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 10 Self-inflicted 30-39 Female 2 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 30 Self-inflicted 40-49 Female 2 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 15 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 5 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 1 2004 Homicide 30-39 Male 1 Homicide 60 and over Male 1 Natural Causes 21-25 Male 2 Natural Causes 26-29 Female 1 Natural causes 26-29 Male 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Female 2 Natural causes 30-39 Male 8 Natural Causes 40-49 Female 2 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 13 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 28 Natural Causes 60 and over Female 2 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 43 Other non-natural 21-25 Male 1 Other non-natural 30-39 Male 5 Other non-natural 40-49 Male 2 Other non-natural 50-59 Male 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Female 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 2 Self-inflicted 21-25 Female 3 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 11 Self-inflicted 26-29 Female 3 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 12 Self-inflicted 30-39 Female 4 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 30 Self-inflicted 40-49 Female 2 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 17 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 6 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 1 2005 Homicide 40-49 Male 2 Homicide 60 and over Male 1 Natural Causes 21-25 Male 2 Natural Causes 26-29 Male 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Female 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 13 Natural Causes 40-49 Female 1 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 18 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 18 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 34 Other non-natural 21-25 Male 1 Other non-natural 30-39 Female 1 Other non-natural 30-39 Male 1 Other non-natural 40-49 Male 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Female 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 1 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 11 Self-inflicted 26-29 Female 1 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 11 Self-inflicted 30-39 Female 2 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 26 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 10 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 4 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 2 2006 Natural Causes 26-29 Male 1 Natural Causes 30-39 Male 13 Natural Causes 40-49 Female 2 Natural Causes 40-49 Male 14 Natural Causes 50-59 Female 1 Natural Causes 50-59 Male 16 Natural Causes 60 and over Male 35 Other non-natural 26-29 Male 1 Other non-natural 30-39 Male 1 Self-inflicted 18-20 Male 1 Self-inflicted 21-25 Female 1 Self-inflicted 21-25 Male 3 Self-inflicted 26-29 Female 1 Self-inflicted 26-29 Male 6 Self-inflicted 30-39 Male 29 Self-inflicted 40-49 Female 1 Self-inflicted 40-49 Male 14 Self-inflicted 50-59 Male 7 Self-inflicted 60 and over Male 3 * The Prison Service definition of self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. This inclusive approach is used in part because inquest verdicts are often not available for some years after a death (some 20 per cent. of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest). Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information become available.