The Police National Computer should be available to
prison staff to help prevent deaths in custody, a report has
said.
Forum for
Preventing Deaths in Custody published its annual
report last week (21 September) and said greater information
sharing is paramount when it comes to identifying vulnerable
prisoners.
Although many of last years' 600 custody deaths were from
natural causes, the Forum says there is work to be done to prevent
those who might be at risk from self-harm or vulnerability.
The report says, "It is the Forum's view that access to the PNC
by prison staff would help them to make better risk
assessments.
"In addition, by allowing the
Prison Service to enter data, the police would also be more
aware of safety issues when the person concerned is next dealt with
by police officers."
It also stressed the importance of increased communication and a
more joined-up approach.
"The Forum's work over its first 18 months has demonstrated the
need for a more robust and joined-up approach to information
sharing between agencies to ensure that important information about
people who may be at risk is shared quickly and accurately between
them."
The forum said the Prisoner Escort Record - often the only way
of transferring information about risk of vulnerability from one
agency to another - needs to be developed.
A spokesman from the National Police Improvement Agency, which
runs the PNC, said, "The prison service has had the ability to
access the PNC since the late 1990s, but not every prison chooses
to access it.
"We are open to working further with the prison service to
extend access as and when they require it."