The British government has been warned that it is not doing enough to prevent young people killing themselves in prison.
Labour peer Lord Harris accused government ministers of "acting too slowly" over suicides and self-harm in British prisons, particularly in relation to vulnerable inmates in young offender's institutes.
He said the government had still not addressed the key issues highlighted in his report on preventing suicide in prison, which he submitted to the Ministry of Justice in April.
The review found that reduced prison staff, overcrowding, and diminishing resources had contributed to unsafe prison environments for young offenders, and recommended that more investment was needed into rehabilitation and support services for younger prisoners.
Speaking to BuzzFeed News, Harris said: "The government are still considering the review, which was submitted seven months ago. During that time, around 12 young people have taken their lives.
"The concern I have is that as time goes on, these deaths will continue to increase. And many of those will be young people, who we could have prevented from even entering the [prison] system in the first place."
He also warned that cuts to prison services meant that inmates would be more at risk of being neglected or placed in solitary confinement for long periods of time.
"Our report found that many young people who entered prison had existing mental health issues that weren't being adequately dealt with," he said. "And in some cases, because of a lack of prison staff, people with mental health issues couldn't get to see a doctor because there wasn't anyone to take them to their appointments."
Harris told BuzzFeed News he was "picking up hints" that justice secretary Michael Gove was "more interested in rehabilitation" than his predecessors, but warned that "further cuts to prison services would make it a difficult balancing act".
The most recent figures indicate that prison suicides have risen to the highest level for nearly a decade.
In 2014, there were 235 deaths inside prisons, 82 of which were self-inflicted.
Deborah Coles, head of the charity Inquest, said there have been 69 self-inflicted deaths in prisons this year, 12 of which were carried out by people aged 24 and under.
"There has been a radio silence from the government, which is shocking," she told BBC News.
Responding to Harris's criticisms, the Ministry of Justice said: "Every death in custody is a tragedy."
It added that his review is still under consideration, and that it would issue a formal response in the autumn.