Ministerial Board on Deaths in Detention
The Ministerial Board on Deaths in Detention aims to bring about a continuing and sustained reduction in the number and rate of deaths in all forms of state custody in England and Wales.
Role of the Board
The purpose of the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Detention is to bring about a continuing and sustained reduction in the number and rate of deaths in all forms of state detention in England and Wales. This covers deaths which occur in prisons (including Youth Offender Institutions) and Approved Premises, during arrest or in or following police custody, in immigration detention, and in detention in hospital under the Mental Health Act (MHA). The principles and lessons learned as part of this work will also apply to the deaths of those detained under the Mental Capacity Act in hospital.
Current membership
- Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Ministry of Justice
- Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health, Department of Health and Social Care
- Minister for Policing and Crime, Home Office
- Deputy Director of Prison Safety, Security, Behaviour Management and National Security, Prisons Directorate, Ministry of Justice
- Deputy Director Scrutiny and Prisoner Outcomes, Prisons Directorate, Ministry of Justice
- Deputy Director, Mental Health and Offender Health, Department of Health and Social Care
- Deputy Head, Police Powers Unit, Home Office
- Deputy Director, Detention Services, Home Office
- Detention leads
- Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Detention (IAPDD)
The Board is supported by an Expert Stakeholder Group, a group of external stakeholders working across the detention settings, whose members will attend meetings of the Board as per individual agenda items
Board priorities
The Board is in the process of agreeing its priorities for 2027 as part of its upcoming cycle of work for the next 12 months.
Meetings
Full meetings of the Board are held twice a year with an alternating Ministerial chair. Each 12-month cycle focuses on the delivery of a workplan shaped by the Ministerial co-chairs, co-sponsors and IAPDD.
Minutes
- Meeting minutes: 12 November 2025 (PDF, 304 KB, 7 pages)
- Meeting minutes: 15 July 2025 (PDF, 220 KB, 6 pages)
- Meeting minutes: 26 November 2024 (PDF, 256 KB, 10 pages)
- Meeting minutes: 13 May 2024 (PDF, 219 KB, 8 pages)
- Meeting minutes: 23 October 2023 (PDF, 174 KB, 6 pages)
- Meeting minutes - May 2023 (PDF, 191 KB, 8 pages)
- Meeting Minutes - 22 November 2022 (PDF, 144 KB, 8 pages)
- Meeting Minutes - 23 May 2022 (PDF, 216 KB, 8 pages)
- Meeting Minutes - 30 November 2021 (PDF, 170 KB, 11 pages)
- Meeting Minutes - 9 June 2021 (PDF, 134 KB, 11 pages)
Previous minutes can be viewed on the website of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody.