Written answers

Thursday, 22 October 2020

Department of Justice and Equality

Prison Deaths

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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139. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 607 of 6 October 2020, the number of deaths in custody covered that took place while a prisoner was outside the prison; the definition of narrative verdict; if she could provide an explanation as to the way in which a death in custody could be an open verdict; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32106/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that further to the information provided in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 607 of 6 October 2020, which reported on the number of deaths in prison custody from 2010 to 2020, I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that 51 of those deaths occurred in hospital.  The relevant details are set out in Table 1 beneath. 

In addition, I can also inform the Deputy that there were 66 further deaths of prisoners, during the same period, who were on some form of temporary release from prison or were Unlawfully-at-Large from prison at the time of their death.  The information with regard to this cohort is set out in Table 2. 

As advised previously, all deaths in custody are the subject of a Garda investigation and an inquest held in a Coroners Court.

The conduct of inquests is entirely a matter for the coroner for the district concerned. The coroner is an independent office holder and the Department has no role in the scheduling of inquests.

I am advised that there is no definition of “verdict” in Irish coronial law. However, the terms in question and other verdicts are used by coroners at the conclusion of inquests to best describe the outcome of their investigation into the death of the deceased.

Deaths in prison are reportable to a coroner who will then decide, in the circumstances, whether to direct a post-mortem examination and conduct an inquest. There may be a number of factors which give rise to delays in the holding of an inquest. Family members of the deceased are advised to maintain contact with the relevant coroner.

Table 1: Deaths in Custody 2010 to 1 October 2020 classified by Year, Gender, Prison, Cause of Death as determined by Coroner and the number of deaths in custody that took place while a prisoner was outside the prison

Year Gender Prison Cause of Death (as determined by Coroner) Location
2020
Male Cloverhill Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Limerick Inquest Pending Limerick Prison
Male Castlerea Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Castlerea Inquest Pending Castlerea Prison
Male Arbour Hill Inquest Pending Arbour Hill Prison
Male Wheatfield Inquest Pending Wheatfield Prison
Male Arbour Hill Inquest Pending Arbour Hill Prison
Male Cork Inquest Pending Hospital
2019
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Cloverhill Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Cloverhill Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Cloverhill Inquest Pending Cloverhill Prison
Male Wheatfield Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Midlands Prison
Male Arbour Hill Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Limerick Inquest Pending Limerick Prison
Male Cork Inquest Pending Cork Prison
Male Portlaoise Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Wheatfield Inquest Pending Wheatfield Prison
Male Mountjoy Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Midlands Prison
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Hospital
2018
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Midlands Prison
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Midlands Prison
Male Cork Misadventure Hospital
Male Mountjoy Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Mountjoy Inquest Pending Mountjoy Prison
Male Wheatfield Inquest Pending Wheatfield Prison
Male Cork Suicide Cork Prison
Male Mountjoy Inquest Pending Mountjoy Prison
2017
Male Cloverhill Suicide Cloverhill Prison
Male Wheatfield Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Limerick Open Verdict Limerick Prison
Male Cork Suicide Cork Prison
Male Mountjoy Misadventure Hospital
Male Midlands Natural Causes Hospital
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Mountjoy Open Verdict Hospital
Male Cork Natural Causes Cork Prison
2016
Male Mountjoy Suicide Mountjoy Prison
Male Midlands Natural Causes Hospital
Male Wheatfield Narrative Hospital
Male Portlaoise Suicide Portlaoise Prison
Male Mountjoy ‘Deceased took his own life.’ Mountjoy Prison
2015
Male Cloverhill Narrative Hospital
Male Midlands Suicide Midlands Prison
Male Mountjoy Natural Causes Hospital
Male Midlands Misadventure Midlands Prison
Male Midlands Natural Causes Hospital
Male Castlerea Open Verdict Castlerea Prison
Male Portlaoise Inquest Pending Portlaoise Prison
Female Dochas Centre Narrative Hospital
Male Arbour Hill Natural Causes Hospital
Male Cork Unlawful Killing Hospital
Male Midlands Misadventure Hospital
Male Mountjoy Misadventure Mountjoy Prison
Male Midlands Natural Causes Midlands Prison
Male Mountjoy ‘Deceased took his own life.’ Hospital
Male Cloverhill Misadventure Hospital
2014
Male Limerick Misadventure Limerick Prison
Male Wheatfield Misadventure Wheatfield Prison
Male Wheatfield Natural Causes Hospital
Male Mountjoy Narrative Hospital
Male Cloverhill Open Hospital
Male Mountjoy Misadventure Hospital
Male Mountjoy Suicide Hospital
Male Mountjoy Suicide Mountjoy Prison
2013
Male Wheatfield Natural Causes Wheatfield Prison
Male Castlerea Inquest Pending Hospital
Male Limerick Open Verdict Hospital
Male Mountjoy Death by Suicide Hospital
Male Mountjoy Death by Misadventure Hospital
Male Cork Suicide Cork Prison
Male Wheatfield Natural Causes Hospital
Male Mountjoy Death by Suicide Hospital
Male Midlands Inquest Pending Midlands Prison
2012
Male Mountjoy Suicide Mountjoy Prison
Male Mountjoy Misadventure Hospital
Male Midlands Natural Causes Midlands Prison
Male Limerick Open Limerick Prison
Male Mountjoy Suicide Mountjoy Prison
2011
Male Cloverhill Suicide Cloverhill Prison
Male Shelton Abbey Misadventure Shelton Abbey
Male Wheatfield Narrative Verdict Hospital
Male Mountjoy Misadventure Mountjoy Prison
Male Wheatfield Misadventure Hospital
Male Castlerea Misadventure Castlerea Prison
2010
Male Wheatfield Prison Natural Causes Hospital
Male Midlands Prison Suicide Midlands Prison
Female Dochas Centre Suicide Dochas Centre
Male Mountjoy Prison Suicide Hospital
Male Arbour Hill Prison Narrative Verdict Hospital
Male Cloverhill Prison Natural Causes Hospital
Male Midlands Prison Natural Causes Hospital
Male Midlands Prison Natural Causes Hospital
Male Mountjoy Prison Misadventure Mountjoy Prison
Male Cork Prison Misadventure Hospital
Male Loughan House Misadventure Loughan House

Table 2: Deaths  1 January 2010 to 1 October 2020 classified by Year, Gender and Prison, that took place while a prisoner was outside the prison on Temporary Release, Renewable Temporary Release, Full Temporary Release or Unlawfully at Large.

Year Gender Prison Prisoner Status
2020
Male Cork Unlawfully at Large
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
2019
Male Midlands Renewable Temporary Release
Female Dochas Renewable Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Male Limerick Renewable Temporary Release
Male Cork Temporary Release
2018
Male Castlerea Renewable Temporary Release
Female Dochas Renewable Temporary Release
Male Shelton Abbey Renewable Temporary Release
Male Shelton Abbey Temporary Release
Male Cork Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Female Dochas Renewable Temporary Release
Male Castlerea Unlawfully at Large
Male Midlands Renewable Temporary Release
Male Arbour Hill Renewable Temporary Release
2017
Male Castlerea Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Arbour Hill Temporary Release
Male Arbour Hill Temporary Release
Male Midlands Renewable Temporary Release
2016
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Male Midlands Temporary Release
Male Arbour Hill Temporary Release
Male Midlands Renewable Temporary Release
2015
Male Loughan House Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Male Cork Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Full Temporary Release
Male Midlands Temporary Release
Female Limerick Temporary Release
Male Wheatfield Temporary Release
2014
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Shelton Abbey Temporary Release
Male Limerick Renewable Temporary Release
Male Midlands Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Female Dochas Centre Renewable Temporary Release
2013
Male Cork Temporary Release
Male Castlerea Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Midlands Renewable Temporary Release
2012
Male Wheatfield Temporary Release
Male Castlerea Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Cloverhill Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Arbour Hill Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Male Cork Renewable Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Renewable Temporary Release
Male Midlands Renewable Temporary Release
Male Shelton Abbey Renewable Temporary Release
2011
Male Midlands Temporary Release
Male Wheatfield Temporary Release
Male Mountjoy Temporary Release
Male Wheatfield Temporary Release
2010
Male Wheatfield Renewable Temporary Release

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