source: The Independent

published: 12 October 2022

Image Credit: artur84 at www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The deaths of Black and mixed-race people in UK prisons are among the most violent and prevalent, a charity has warned. In a new report, Deaths of racialised people in prison 2015 – 2022, INQUEST has revealed new Freedom of Information Act data, which shows 2,220 people died in prison between January 2015 and December 2021.

The highest number of prison deaths among racialised groups were among Black and mixed-race people (136) which researchers, say “evidences the role of institutional racism in the prison estate”.

The report further examined the “preventable and premature” deaths of 22 racialised people in prison, some of which were found to include the inappropriate use of segregation, racial stereotyping, the neglect of health and bullying.

Deborah Coles, executive director of Inquest, said: “The failure of post-death investigations to examine the potential role of racism or discrimination in deaths renders racialised issues invisible. As a result, the opportunity to acknowledge and address racial injustices and inequalities is lost.

“The decision to imprison the people featured in this report ended up being a death sentence. Imprisonment is ineffective in reducing crime and instead perpetuates harm and violence, with racialised and marginalised groups worst affected.”

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