Last week, NISRA published their Post-prison mortality in Northern Ireland: 2011–2021 report.
The Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O'Neill in response to the report said:
I’m shocked and saddened at the scale of preventable death among people leaving prison in Northern Ireland. The overall mortality rate from 2011-2021 was more than 24 times higher than expected in the general Northern Ireland population after taking account of age. More than half of these deaths were drug-related and over a quarter were suicides.
Risk was particularly acute immediately after release, with 44 deaths occurring within just 14 days, and 70.5% of these being drug-related. The time immediately prior to and after release therefore represents a high risk period where additional support is needed. The response needs to be greater investment in the mental health of people in prison and in the transition back into the community. Mental health, suicide prevention and substance-use support should begin before release and continue afterwards, with services working together rather than leaving people to navigate fragmented systems at a period of exceptionally high vulnerability.
These deaths reflect the accumulation of disadvantage, trauma, mental ill-health, substance use and social exclusion. The concentration of deaths among people from the most deprived communities, and the particularly high proportion of drug-related deaths among younger people leaving prison, highlight the need for earlier intervention. A trauma-informed approach should guide how we support children, young people and families across society, particularly those experiencing adversity, poverty, violence, neglect, mental ill-health or substance use. Earlier identification and effective support can provide opportunities to address distress and vulnerability before they become more entrenched.
The findings therefore point beyond criminal justice policy to a wider public health and prevention agenda. If we want to reduce offending, suicide, mental illness and addiction, we need to invest earlier in the lives of children and families who are experiencing the greatest adversity. This means strengthening early intervention, family support, mental health services, education and community-based provision, while ensuring that trauma-informed practice becomes embedded across the systems that children and families encounter. The challenge is to recognise vulnerability earlier, respond more effectively and provide sustained support at the points in life when it can make the greatest difference.
Read NISRA's report here: https://datavis.nisra.gov.uk/vitalstatistics/report-post-prison-mortality.html