Why six weeks between death and funeral?

TBagpuss

It's not particualrly unusual. Simple things such as the availability of immediate family members, the availbility of a specific church or priest for a funeral could lead to a delay.

A death in custody would definately mean more paperwork than in other circumstances, and if there were any suspicious circumstances, or of he had not seen a doctor recently, then an inquest may be needed.

if you are family, you could contact the prison directly. They will probably be able to tell you which funeral directors collected the bod and the funeral directors may be able to give you more details. If there is/was an inquest then this is public and you could attend if you wish.

If there is any dispute between immediate family members then that could also delay things, if it wasn't immediately clear who was responsible for making arrangments.

Savvy_Sue

When Dad died in hospital, I was astonished how long it took just to get the death certificate from the hospital! Couldn't register the death or make any arrangements without that, although we'd discussed potential dates with the FD.