RATES of self-harm and assaults are soaring in prisons, reveals the latest statistical bulletin published by the Ministry of Justice.
Prisons recorded 73,804 incidents of self-harm in the 12 months to the end of March 2024, at a rate of one every seven minutes. In the most recent quarter, the rate of self-harm was up two per cent in male establishments and 29 per cent in female establishments.
Over the same period, prisons recorded 28,292 assaults – a 19 per cent rise on the figures for the previous 12 months. This included an 18 per cent increase on serious assaults and a 24 per cent rise in assaults on staff.
Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “These shocking statistics tell us why the new government was absolutely right to take steps to ease pressure on the prison population, and why further action will be needed to change prisons for the better.
“Much of the focus of policy has been on the crisis of prison capacity, with the number of available cells at the foremost of people’s minds. These figures remind us that there is a crisis of human misery behind bars too. Exposing people to environments of rising violence and mental distress will do nothing to turn their lives around and away from crime. This is exactly why the Prime Minister was correct to describe the prison system as ‘broken’.
“We can do much better than this. The Howard League has published a range of possible solutions for ministers to consider and we stand ready to help the government in its prison reform agenda.”
Women in Prison highlighted the alarmingly high number of women self-harming, at 341 per 1000 women in prison. This self-harm rate is more than eight times higher in women’s prisons than in men’s prisons.
Sonya Ruparel, CEO of Women in Prison, said: “Seriously unwell women are being sent to prison when in fact they need medical or psychiatric support. Far from being a place of safety, prisons are re-traumatising women and even creating mental health problems where they didn’t exist before.
“Our frontline staff have worked with women who developed PTSD in prison, suicidal ideation, and in one case a woman was recalled to prison from a psychiatric ward while pregnant. In too many cases, women are criminalised because they are survivors of abuse, and experience mental ill-health and poverty.
“Rather than punishing women for their experiences, we need to prioritise prevention and ensure they have access to the support they need in their communities.”
* Read: Grasping the nettle: Options for a lasting solution to the prison capacity crisis from the Howard League for Penal Reform here.
* Read The Answer Is Not Prison from Women in Prison here.
* Read: Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to June 2024 Assaults and Self-harm to March 2024 here.
* Sources: Howard League for Penal Reform and Women in Prison