Suicide rate in NZ prisons 11 times higher than general population

Friday, August 16th, 2013

The suicide rate in New Zealand prisons is 11 times higher than in the general population – and, since 2008, more than 75 prisoners have died.

The number of prisoners committing suicide has much to do with high rates of mental health problems combined with poor quality psychiatric care in prison.

Doctors and nurses who treat prisoners are unable to provide an equivalent level of care to that received by patients in the community.

In 2011, the ombudsman called this a serious concern and recommended responsibility for healthcare of prisoners should be removed from the Corrections Department and given to DHBs.

Source

NZ Doctor
Image:Topnews.net.nz

Additional reading

News category: New Zealand.

Tags: Corrections Dept, Mental Health, Prisons, Suicide

Archbishop of Canterbury: who next?

When former Archbishop Rowan Williams announced in March 2012 that he was standing down as Archbishop of Canterbury, bookmakers started taking bets on his successor. Bishop John Sentamu, then Archbishop of York, was the clear favourite with the Bishops of Read more

Religion in the workplace is tricky, but everyone loses when it becomes a taboo

Since we spend so much of our lives at our jobs, it’s only natural that conversations with colleagues go beyond the work in front of us. People share interests and hobbies, family struggles, health concerns, and hopes or goals, from Read more

Bernie Sanders says the left has lost the working class. Has it forgotten how to speak to them?

Donald Trump was elected US president this week. Despite vastly outspending her opponent and drafting a galaxy of celebrities to her cause – Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Martin, Taylor Swift – Democratic candidate Kamala Harris lost the Electoral College, Read more

Young men who see women as objects are more likely to be violent towards their partners: new research

Intimate partner violence is a global scourge. One in four Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. The perpetrators are overwhelmingly heterosexual men. Many factors contribute to this form of violence. Persistent Read more

CathNews New Zealand