More than 50 prisoners commit suicide each year shortly after they are released, new research shows.

The Howard League for Penal Reform, which commissioned the survey, blamed a lack of support on the outside for the deaths.

The prison reform charity concluded that prisons and probation officers are "failing adequately to support these vulnerable individuals".

It is not good enough to get each prisoner out of their door and breathe a sigh of relief

Howard League

It found that inmates serving short sentences receive little or no preparation for release.

Long-term prisoners are supervised but the Probation Service was geared towards protecting the public from individuals rather than looking after the offender's welfare, the report said.

The charity called on the Probation Service to offer support to all inmates when they leave prison.

"Thousands of prisoners leave prison every year with nowhere to go and no support," said author Claire McCarthy.

'Investigation needed'

"No one denies that the general public is entitled to be protected from crime.

"But it must be remembered that those who have been in custody are also members of the community and if their life experiences or personal circumstances make them a potential danger to themselves - they must be protected too.

"The Howard League believes that the Probation Service must pay as much attention to identifying and supporting those who are at risk of suicide as it does to the identification of dangerous offenders and the protection of the public.

"Secondly, the Prison Service must recognise that it is not good enough to get each prisoner out of their door and breathe a sigh of relief."

The charity also demanded independent investigations of all deaths which occur in prison, or within a week of release or while under probation officers' supervision.

It also wants the creation of a supervision group within the Probation Service to record and monitor all deaths and provide suicide prevention training for probation and hostel staff.