Justice in numbers

Public protection

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Prison operational capacity

Prison first receptions (quarterly)

A first reception is a measure which counts a prisoner's first movement into custody following a court hearing for a particular set of offences committed, and therefore gives the best indication of the number of new prisoners in the reporting period.

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Jul-Sep 2022 15,817

Data source Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Prison population

Total number of prisoners at a specific point in time each year.

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30-Jun-2022 80,659

31-Dec-2022

The prison population at 31 Dec 2022 was 81,806.

Data source Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Prison population by sex

Values:

• Male: 78,699 prisoners
• Female: 3,107 prisoners

Data source: Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

31 Dec 2022

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Prison population by age

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31 Dec 2022 total 81,806 prisoners

Data source Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Prison population by offence

Prison population under an immediate custodial sentence by offence group. Excludes remand and non-criminal prisoners.

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31 Dec 2022 total 67,003

Data source Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Prison releases (quarterly)

A release is defined as a release from prison where the prisoner has finished serving the custodial term of their sentence(s) and excludes:

• civil non-criminal prisoners;
• persons committed to custody for non-payment of a fine;
• releases to hospital;
• deported prisoners from HMPPS operated Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs); and
• releases following recall after release on licence, except occasions:
  • where the offender has committed a new offence and is committed to custody for a new sentence and the subsequent release date falls after the sentence expiry date of the original sentence; or
  • where upon release the offender is subject to the licence condition of the new custodial sentence.

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Jul-Sep 2022 11,650

Data source Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Individuals released on temporary licence

Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) is the mechanism under which offenders may be released into the community, generally towards the end of their sentences, for rehabilitative purposes. It can play an important role in public protection by allowing risk management plans for offenders to be tested in the community under strict conditions before they are released. It also provides a valuable means of helping offenders prepare for their resettlement in the community by, for example, finding work or rebuilding links with their families, which helps to reduce reoffending.

These figures show the number of individuals released on temporary licence at least once in the quarter. Some individuals may be released multiple times within the quarter or over multiple quarters. Therefore, it is not possible to sum multiple quarters together to find the number of releases on temporary licence over a longer period.

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Jul-Sep 2022 4,257

Data source Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Prison type - male / female

Prisons count by male, female and children (under 18 years old) establishments.

Values:

• Male: 106 prisons
• Female: 12 prisons
• Under 18: 4 prisons

Data source: Prisons and their resettlement providers

Published: 31 August 2022.

August 2022

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Prison type - public / private

Prisons count by ownership.

Values:

• Public sector: 107 prisons
• Private sector (contracted): 15 prisons

Data source: Prisons and their resettlement providers

Published: 31 August 2022.

August 2022

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Prison operational capacity

The operational capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime.

This measure reports the useable operational capacity of the estate, which is the sum of all establishments' operational capacity less an operating margin. Figures are taken on the last working Friday of June each year.

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Jun 2022 82,759

30-Sep-2022

At 30 Sep 2022 the useable operational capacity of the estate was 83,723.

Data source Prison population statistics (monthly)

Published: 28 October 2022.

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Prison staff in post (bands 3-5)

The chart shows Band 3-5 prison officer staff (full time equivalent) at the end of each financial year.

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March 2022 22,001

31-Dec-2022

At 31 Dec 2022 there were 21,632 Band 3-5 FTE officers in post.

Data source HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly

Published: 22 February 2023. Next publication: 18 May 2023 9:30am.

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Safety and security

Crowding

Percentage of prisoners held in crowded accommodation.

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Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 20.6 %

Data source HM Prison and Probation Service annual digest

Published: 28 July 2022.

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Prisoner on prisoner assaults per 1,000 prisoners

Assaults in prison custody cover a wide range of violent incidents including fights between prisoners.

From time to time, events in prison custody and developments within and outside the Ministry of Justice have changed the safety in prisons is viewed and managed. Some have resulted in changes to the way offenders are managed, others have affected the way statistics are collected and reported.

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Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 163

Sep-2022

In the 12 months to Sep 2022 there were 173 prisoner on prisoner assaults per 1,000 prisoners.

Data source Safety in custody statistics (quarterly)

Published: 3 March 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners

Assaults in prison custody cover a wide range of violent incidents including attacks on staff.

From time to time, events in prison custody and developments within and outside Ministry of Justice have changed the way safety in prisons is viewed and managed. Some have resulted in changes to the way offenders are managed, others have affected the way statistics are collected and reported.

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Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 97

Sep-2022

In the 12 months to Sep 2022 there were 92 assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners.

Data source Safety in custody statistics (quarterly)

Published: 3 March 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners

Self-harm in prison covers a wide range of severity and type of incident, including cutting, overdose or hanging.

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Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 684

Sep-2022

In the 12 months to Sep 2022 there were 687 self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners.

Data source Safety in custody statistics (quarterly)

Published: 3 March 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Self inflicted deaths

The number of self inflicted deaths in prisons.

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Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 75

Dec-2022

In the 12 months to Dec 2022 there were 74 self-inflicted deaths.

Data source Safety in custody statistics (quarterly)

Published: 3 March 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Random mandatory drug testing (traditional drugs)

The percentage of random mandatory drug tests which show drugs to be present, hence a downward trend is positive. This measure excludes tests for new psychoactive substances.

The values for 2018/19 onwards are calculated using a new weighted methodology - please refer to the relevant publication for more details.

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Apr 2019 to Mar 2020 10.5 %

Data source HM Prison and Probation Service annual digest

Published: 28 July 2022.

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Barricades or prevention of access

The number of incidents where where one or more offenders deny access to all or part of a prison to those lawfully empowered to have such access, by use of a physical barrier.

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Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 1,273

Data source HM Prison and Probation Service annual digest

Published: 28 July 2022.

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Risk management audit

An announced audit to determine how effectively the prison is assessing and managing risks of violence and self-harm.

The risk management audit is carried out approximately every three years. The data presented here shows the most recent assessment for each prison establishment.

The summary percentage is based on audits published internally by HMPPS. The annual prison performance ratings publication includes audits which had not been published when it was released and were therefore suppressed from the data tables. Including these suppressed scores, the overall percentage of prisons scoring a 3 or 4 is 53.3%

Values:

• Rating 1: 1 prisons
• Rating 2: 35 prisons
• Rating 3: 36 prisons
• Rating 4: 5 prisons

Data source: Prison performance ratings (annual)

Published: 28 July 2022.

Rating 4

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Escapes from prison establishments and HMPPS escort

A prisoner escapes from prison if they unlawfully gain their liberty (for 15 minutes or more) by breaching the secure perimeter of a closed prison, or if during prison staff escort, overcome the control of escorting staff and leave the escort, the van or the building (hospital etc.). Those who escape for less than 15 minutes and commit an offence are also recorded as an escape.

Escapes are monitored to analyse the frequency across the estate and identify any trends nationally, also taking into consideration the management of risk to the public.

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Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 1

Data source HM Prison and Probation Service annual digest

Published: 28 July 2022.

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Absconds

An abscond is an escape that does not involve overcoming a physical security restraint such as that provided by a wall or fence, locks, bolts or bars, a secure vehicle, handcuffs or the direct supervision of staff.

Absconds are monitored to analyse the frequency across the open estate and identify any trends nationally also taking into consideration, the management of risk to the public. It is only possible to abscond from open prison conditions.

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Apr 2021 to Mar 2022 95

Data source HM Prison and Probation Service annual digest

Published: 28 July 2022.

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Security audit

An internal audit that assesses, on a four point scale, the level to which effective security procedures are adhered to within each prison.

There is no structured frequency for how often the security audit takes place, with the exception of long term high security prison establishments which are audited annually. The data presented here shows the most recent assessment for each prison establishment.

The summary percentage is based on audits published internally by HMPPS. The annual prison performance ratings publication includes audits which had not been published when it was released and were therefore suppressed from the data tables. Including these suppressed scores, the overall percentage of prisons scoring a 3 or 4 is 85.8%

Values:

• Rating 1: 6 prisons
• Rating 2: 11 prisons
• Rating 3: 63 prisons
• Rating 4: 40 prisons

Data source: Prison performance ratings (annual)

Published: 28 July 2022.

Rating 4

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Community management

Electronic monitoring caseload

Total caseload.

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31 March 2022 15,193

Data source Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication

Published: 19 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Probation caseload

The statistics count each person once for each type of probation supervision being received on the date shown. In addition, each person is counted only once in each total or sub-total even if they were subject to several types of probation supervision at the year end (the examples above apply). Thus, the sum of the numbers receiving each type of court order probation supervision exceeds the number receiving court order probation supervision in total.

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30 Sep 2022 240,674

Data source Offender management statistics quarterly

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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Staff in post (Probation Service)

Full time equivalent staff in post for the Probation Service (PS) at the end of each financial year. (Workforce data for private sector Community Rehabilitation Companies is not published).

During November and December 2019, over 1,200 PS staff moved to the Community and Interventions directorate, part of HMPPS HQ and areas services. In the same quarter, over 300 staff in Wales were transferred from privately run CRCs to HMPPS, into the new "PS Wales UM transition".

In late June 2021, more than 7,000 staff from private sector Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC) came together with probation staff already in the public sector in the new Probation Service.

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March 2022 17,639

31-Dec-2022

At 31 Dec there were 18,611 FTE staff in post.

Data source HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly

Published: 22 February 2023. Next publication: 18 May 2023 9:30am.

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Serious further offence convictions

SFO conviction figures are reported by the date of SFO notification. This is the date on which the supervising probation region notifies HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) that an offender under its supervision has appeared in court charged with an offence which qualifies for an SFO review.

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Apr 2020- Mar 2021 245

Data source Proven reoffending statistics (quarterly)

Published: 26 January 2023. Next publication: 27 April 2023 9:30am.

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