Probe into two deaths at Polmont YOI in space of a week

Police are investigating two suspected suicides at Polmont Young Offenders Institution which happened within days of each other.

By The Newsroom

Published 23rd Jan 2017, 13:58 BST

Updated 23rd Jan 2017, 14:15 BST

The YOI, which previously had only four suicides in over a decade, reported the death of a 19-year-old man in custody on Friday, January 13, followed by an 18-year-old on Saturday, January 21.

The Scottish Prison Service confirmed the fatalities but could not give any more details.

According to police neither death is believed to be suspicious.

Since 2005 Scottish Prison Service figures show there has been a reported four suicides at Polmont YOI – not counting the suspected suicides which occurred this month – which happened in 2005, 2010, 2102 and 2014.

There were a total of 73 suicides reported within Scottish prisons over the same period, 2005 to 2016.

This is compared to prisons in England and Wales which had over 100 reported suicides in 2016 alone.