A 3-year review of deaths in people under community justice supervision in Wales: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND

Despite little fluctuation in the numbers of people under community justice supervision in England and Wales, the number of deaths in this population has more than doubled between 2013-14 and 2020-21, from 560 to 1343 deaths. Contributing factors and causes of mortality are somewhat unknown. The aim of this study was to understand the number and the leading causes of people dying while under community justice supervision in Wales, UK, between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2021.

METHODS

Public Health Wales in collaboration with HM Prison and Probation Service in Wales were provided with identifiable data (name, date of birth, date of death, and the Probation Delivery Unit) of 306 individuals (aged ≥18 years) who had died during this time period while under community justice supervision. Following de-duplication and matching of National Health Service (NHS) numbers using the Welsh Demographic System, 266 deaths were linked to the live Office for National Statistics (ONS) Death Registry to obtain the cause of death. Deaths were grouped based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 code assigned as their underlying cause of death.

FINDINGS

In this cross-sectional study, the mortality rate overall was higher in women than in men (7·5 vs 5·6 deaths per 1000 population), despite the majority of deaths being in men, with less than 40 deaths in women. Mortality rates were nearly double in those aged 50 years and older (9·4 deaths per 1000 population) than in those aged 18-49 years (5·0 deaths per 1000 population). Drugs or alcohol were considered a primary cause of death for just under half of all deaths (n=115; 43%), with opiates being the most commonly named substance (n=63; 24%). 70 drug-related deaths involved poly-drug use. Accidental drug-related deaths were four times higher in those aged 18-49 years than in those aged 50 years and older (2·3 vs 0·6 deaths per 1000 population). Diseases of the circulatory system accounted for 13% (n=34) of all deaths and were 5 times higher in those aged 50 years and older than those aged 18-49 years (2·2 vs 0·4 deaths per 1000 population).

INTERPRETATION

This study provides valuable insight into the leading causes of death among this cohort, notably deaths associated with substance misuse in younger age groups and with circulatory disease in older age groups. The increase in substance misuse-related deaths reflects recent national UK trends. Further research is required to understand which of these deaths were preventable.

FUNDING

None.