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Almost one in five people in prison are on remand – awaiting trial or sentence – and the number has been rising fast. At the end of 2023, it stood at more than 16,000 – the highest level for at least half a century.
People on remand ought to spend no longer than six months waiting for their trial to be heard, but a backlog in the courts means that many are being held for much longer, in some of the worst conditions in the prison system.
During that time, they are away from their family. They may lose their home. They are likely to lose their job. And they are unable to engage in a full regime in the prison, which can add to their uncertainty and impair their physical and mental health.
When, eventually, their case is heard, they may be acquitted or receive a non-custodial sentence.
This is the background to official figures that show people on remand have the highest suicide rate of all people in prison. It is time for change.
Join our panel of experts and ask questions as we lift the lid on prisons and discuss the impact of the overuse of remand, and what should be done to address it.
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