Safety & order
Prisons need to be and feel safe for both staff and prisoners. Violent incidents are the most obvious issue, but this is also about wider culture and atmosphere of the prison and the support it provides to vulnerable prisoners.
Audits and inspections are reported on a 4-point scale, from 1 (lowest rating) to 4 (highest rating).
Visit prisons and probation statistics for data sources and more details.
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 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.
| Year | Prisoner on prisoner assaults per 1,000 prisoners |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 262.0 |
| 2016-17 | 227.0 |
| 2015-16 | 195.0 |
| 2014-15 | 152.0 |
| 2013-14 | 138.0 |
| 2012-13 | 130.0 |
| 2011-12 | 144.0 |
| 2010-11 | 134.0 |
| 2009-10 | 142.0 |
| 2008-09 | 153.0 |
| 2007-08 | 154.0 |
| 2006-07 | 144.0 |
| 2005-06 | 146.0 |
| 2004-05 | 131.0 |
| 2003-04 | 123.0 |
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 262.0
In the 12 months to Jun 2018 there were 277 prisoner on prisoner assaults per 1,000 prisoners (provisional figure).
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.
| Year | Assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 106.0 |
| 2016-17 | 84.0 |
| 2015-16 | 63.0 |
| 2014-15 | 46.0 |
| 2013-14 | 40.0 |
| 2012-13 | 35.0 |
| 2011-12 | 36.0 |
| 2010-11 | 34.0 |
| 2009-10 | 36.0 |
| 2008-09 | 39.0 |
| 2007-08 | 40.0 |
| 2006-07 | 43.0 |
| 2005-06 | 45.0 |
| 2004-05 | 42.0 |
| 2003-04 | 38.0 |
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 106.0
In the 12 months to Jun 2018 there were 112 assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners (provisional figure).
The MQPL survey of prisoners' perceptions is a validated way of gauging the quality of Decency and Safety, which are vital business aims but difficult to define and measure by other means.
Questionnaire scores are made more meaningful by comparing them to what might typically be expected from prisons of a similar type, but the comparison should not be judged at face value without reference to the specific context of the prison in question.
2017-18
| MQPL safety audit | Count |
|---|---|
| Rating 4 | 5 |
| Rating 3 | 67 |
| Rating 2 | 26 |
| Rating 1 | 19 |
An independent assessment by HMIP of the level to which prisoners, even the most vulnerable, are held safely.
2017-18
| HMIP safety inspection | Count |
|---|---|
| Rating 4 | 29 |
| Rating 3 | 36 |
| Rating 2 | 38 |
| Rating 1 | 15 |
Internal audit of recording of reportable incidents on Incident Reporting System (IRS).
2017-18
| Incident Reporting System data quality audit | Count |
|---|---|
| Rating 4 | 16 |
| Rating 3 | 36 |
| Rating 2 | 34 |
| Rating 1 | 5 |
Assaults subset of the internal audit of recording of reportable incidents on Incident Reporting System (IRS).
2017-18
| Incident Reporting System assaults check | Count |
|---|---|
| Achieved target | 60 |
| Did not achieve target | 22 |
Self-harm in prison covers a wide range of severity and type of incident, including cutting, overdose or hanging.
This measure shows the rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners.
| Year | Rate of self-harm incidents |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 549 |
| 2016-17 | 474 |
| 2015-16 | 404 |
| 2014-15 | 320 |
| 2013-14 | 278 |
| 2012-13 | 266 |
| 2011-12 | 280 |
| 2010-11 | 310 |
| 2009-10 | 297 |
| 2008-09 | 312 |
| 2007-08 | 278 |
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 549
In the 12 months to Jun 2018 there were 585 self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners (provisional figure).
The number of self inflicted deaths in prisons.
| Year | Self inflicted deaths |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 69 |
| 2016-17 | 116 |
| 2015-16 | 102 |
| 2014-15 | 79 |
| 2013-14 | 90 |
| 2012-13 | 52 |
| 2011-12 | 67 |
| 2010-11 | 54 |
| 2009-10 | 59 |
| 2008-09 | 64 |
| 2007-08 | 84 |
| 2006-07 | 72 |
| 2005-06 | 74 |
| 2004-05 | 87 |
| 2003-04 | 94 |
| 2002-03 | 106 |
| 2001-02 | 75 |
| 2000-01 | 77 |
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 69
In the 12 months to Sep 2018 there were 87 self-inflicted deaths (provisional figure).
The number of incidents where prisoners used barricades or prevented access in prisons.
| Year | Barricades or prevention of access |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 1,406 |
| 2016-17 | 1,320 |
| 2015-16 | 1,229 |
| 2014-15 | 929 |
| 2013-14 | 669 |
| 2012-13 | 475 |
| 2011-12 | 554 |
| 2010-11 | 430 |
| 2009-10 | 446 |
| 2008-09 | 524 |
| 2007-08 | 521 |
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 1,406
The number of hostage incidents in prisons.
| Year | Hostage incidents |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 127 |
| 2016-17 | 128 |
| 2015-16 | 129 |
| 2014-15 | 113 |
| 2013-14 | 91 |
| 2012-13 | 54 |
| 2011-12 | 50 |
| 2010-11 | 20 |
| 2009-10 | 19 |
| 2008-09 | 25 |
| 2007-08 | 38 |
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 127
The number of incidents of concerted indiscipline in prisons.
| Year | Concerted indiscipline |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 339 |
| 2016-17 | 380 |
| 2015-16 | 276 |
| 2014-15 | 206 |
| 2013-14 | 151 |
| 2012-13 | 99 |
| 2011-12 | 117 |
| 2010-11 | 98 |
| 2009-10 | 98 |
| 2008-09 | 127 |
| 2007-08 | 118 |
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 339
The number of incidents at height in prisons.
| Year | Incidents at height |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 4,847 |
| 2016-17 | 3,825 |
| 2015-16 | 2,685 |
| 2014-15 | 1,726 |
| 2013-14 | 1,281 |
| 2012-13 | 738 |
Apr 2017 to Mar 2018 4,847