SUICIDES in prisons across the North-East have contributed to the worst year on record for inmates taking their own lives, a study has revealed.

The Howard League for Penal Reform published a worrying report that highlighted deaths in HM Deerbolt Prison, in Barnard Castle, HM Durham Prison and HMP Low Newton, in Brasside, Durham, during 2016.

One death was recorded at each prison this year to total 12 suicides in North-East jails since 2013.

The report states that the highest figures for prison suicides since records began almost four decades ago can be linked to staff and budget cuts.

Overcrowding of inmates has also been blamed for increases in violence and less safety for the prison population.

The report also reveals that the current prison suicide rate at 120 deaths per 100,000 people is around 10 times higher than the suicide rate in the general population.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “The number of people dying by suicide in prison has reached epidemic proportions.

“No one should be so desperate while in the care of the state that they take their own life, and yet every three days a family is told that a loved one has died behind bars.

“Cutting staff and prison budgets while allowing the number of people behind bars to grow unchecked has created a toxic mix of violence, death and human misery.”

The report recommends that prisoners with mental health issues should not be placed in solitary confinement and should be able to maintain relationships and be encouraged to socialise with others.

A Government spokeswoman said: "Mental health in custody is taken extremely seriously and there are a range of measures already in place to help support prisoners. 

"Providing the right intervention and treatment is vital to improving the outcomes for people who are suffering and all prisons have established procedures in place to identify, manage and support people with mental health issues.

"But we recognise that more can be done. That is why have invested in specialist mental health training for prison officers, allocated more funding for prison safety and have launched a suicide and self-harm reduction project to address the increase in self-inflicted deaths and self-harm in our prisons.”