Data and Methodology

This report is based on data produced by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS). SPS publish quarterly updates on their website with information on deaths that have occurred in prison custody in the most recent quarter.

This published data has been linked by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) to the Deaths Record to identify the underlying cause of death as defined by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th Revision) (ICD-10). Further information about how NRS code each death, as well as background information on producing figures for deaths can be found on their website.

To compare the male prison population with the general male population in Scotland, standardisation is needed to account for differences in age structure. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) provide the ratio of expected mortality risk for a population, given age-specific mortality rates from a reference population.

Links

Deaths in Prison Custody Action Group

Deaths in Prison Custody Action Group - gov.scot

Deaths in Prison Custody in Scotland 2012-2022 - gov.scot

Deaths in Prison Custody 2012-13 to 2022-23 - gov.scot

Independent Review of the Response to Deaths in Prison Custody | HMIPS

NRS Vital Events Statistics

Births, deaths, marriages and life expectancy - National Records of Scotland (NRS)

SPS Deaths in Custody Data

Death in custody | Scottish Prison Service

Scottish Government Prison Population Statistics

Scottish Prison Population Statistics 2024-25 - gov.scot

NRS Methodology Documents

Age and Age Standardisation

Cause of Death Text and Codes (nrscotland.gov.uk)

Death Certificates and Coding the Causes of Death | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)

Drug-related deaths in Scotland, Methodology annexes

The Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (nrscotland.gov.uk)

Probable Suicides, Methodology

[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Quality of National Records of Scotland (NRS) Data on Deaths | National Records of Scotland

Underlying Cause of Death Codes (nrscotland.gov.uk)

Office for National Statistics Data on Drug Related Deaths and Suicide in Prison Custody

Drug-related deaths and suicide in prison custody in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics

Standardised Mortality Ratios

Deaths Time Series Data, 2024 - National Records of Scotland (NRS)

Methodology - ScotPHO

Mid-2024 population estimates - National Records of Scotland (NRS)