Preventing deaths in police custody

The role of the custody visitor

Deborah Coles co-director INQUEST

About INQUEST

• Advice

• Casework

• Policy and research

• Campaigning

Police custody deaths in numbers

• 269 deaths in police custody in last 10 years (to October 2013)

• 47 black and minority ethnic deaths

• INQUEST has worked on 206 police custody deaths in the last 10 years

Case study: Andrzej Rymarzak

• Alcohol intoxication

• Failure to follow procedure including:

• Failure to conduct rousing checks

• Failure to provide adequate medical care and treatment

Case study: Thomas Orchard

• Mental health

• Restraint

• Use of Emergency Response Belt (ERM)

• Taken to police custody

• Adequacy of medical care

Key issues arising from INQUEST casework on deaths in police custody

• Mental health• Restraint (incl. Taser use)• Drug and alcohol intoxication• Drug swallowing• Medical care and role of FME• Self harm and self-inflicted deaths

Cont’d…

• Communication problems • Training • Record keeping/monitoring • Cell design/Risk Assessments/Custodial Health

& Safety

HMIP/HMIC inspections of police custody

• Poor recording and analysis of use of force• Authorisation and incidence of strip searches

and use of force – use of strip clothing• Too many mental health detainees in police

custody

• Unsatisfactory risk management

Regulation 28 Prevention of Future Deaths reports (previously Rule 43 reports) and

narrative conclusions/verdicts

Learning tool to prevent future fatalities

• More meaningful outcome for bereaved families

Current limitations:

• Lack of detailed monitoring, analysis or follow up

Learning from deaths in custody

• The need for a more co-ordinated role on post-inquest learning from regulation, inspection and monitoring bodies

• Integration of investigation and inquest findings and follow-up

• Incorporate post inquest learning in Custody visitor role

About INQUEST

• Learning from Death in Custody Inquests

http://www.inquest.org.uk/publications/learning-from-death-in-custody-inquests

• ‘Inquest Law’ magazine – subscribe:http://www.inquest.org.uk/ilg/inquest-law-magazine

inquest@inquest.org.uk

www.inquest.org.uk