In April 2025, ‘Nothing to See Here? Deaths in Custody and their Investigation in Scotland’ the fourth annual monitoring report was published by the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR). It found an increase of 60% in deaths in custody in the past year: of the 64 deaths in prison, 17 were apparent/suicides. 10 years ago only 24 people died in prison and the rise was described by the researchers as “absolutely stunning” and “unprecedented”. The mortality rate in Scottish prisons is now amongst the highest in Europe.