Two hundred and twenty of the deaths were caused by a series of illnesses that damaged the vital organs of the inmates.
Between 2000 and April 2016, a total of 36 inmates died of AIDS, heart attacks (20 deaths) and asthma attacks (six deaths).
The remaining 158 died after contracting illnesses relating to the intestines, liver, lungs and throat, as well as yellow fever and ulcers, said the ministry in a written reply to M. Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat).
For 102 deaths in custody since 2000, it was decided by the court that no inquest was necessary, while inquests into 85 such deaths had been done.
“Fourteen deaths in custody are still in the inquest process, while investigations are ongoing for another 15 cases,” it said.
The highest number of deaths in custody was in 2003, when 32 deaths were recorded. Last year, the ministry recorded 12 deaths in custody.
Meanwhile in another written reply to Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali (PAS-Kuala Nerus), the ministry’s statistics revealed arrests of schoolchildren for violent crimes were on the downward trend.
A total of 2,483 students had been caught in 2013 for violent crimes and crimes against property, including murder, rape and armed robbery.
The number dropped to 2,073 in 2014, and later to 1,851 last year. Between January and March this year, 398 students were arrested.
The ministry said the police, with the cooperation of the Education Ministry, will continuously work to counter the issue of violent crimes by students.
Among the steps taken were appointing school relations officers, compulsory co-curricular activity participation, and encouraging parent-teacher associations to be more active in helping their schools to manage the issue, the ministry stated.
