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.
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 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 |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 148 |
| 2019-20 | 267 |
| 2018-19 | 296 |
| 2017-18 | 262 |
| 2016-17 | 227 |
| 2015-16 | 195 |
| 2014-15 | 152 |
| 2013-14 | 138 |
| 2012-13 | 130 |
| 2011-12 | 144 |
| 2010-11 | 134 |
| 2009-10 | 142 |
| 2008-09 | 153 |
| 2007-08 | 154 |
| 2006-07 | 144 |
| 2005-06 | 146 |
| 2004-05 | 131 |
| 2003-04 | 123 |
Apr 2020 to Mar 2021 148
Jun-2021In the 12 months to Jun 2021 there were 155 prisoner on prisoner assaults per 1,000 prisoners.
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.
| Year | Assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 95 |
| 2019-20 | 118 |
| 2018-19 | 124 |
| 2017-18 | 106 |
| 2016-17 | 84 |
| 2015-16 | 63 |
| 2014-15 | 46 |
| 2013-14 | 40 |
| 2012-13 | 35 |
| 2011-12 | 36 |
| 2010-11 | 34 |
| 2009-10 | 36 |
| 2008-09 | 39 |
| 2007-08 | 40 |
| 2006-07 | 43 |
| 2005-06 | 45 |
| 2004-05 | 42 |
| 2003-04 | 38 |
Apr 2020 to Mar 2021 95
Jun-2021In the 12 months to Jun 2021 there were 97 assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners.
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.
The MQPL survey is undertaken as a part of a rolling three-year programme. 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 79.5%
2019-20
| MQPL safety audit | Count |
|---|---|
| Rating 4 | 9 |
| Rating 3 | 83 |
| Rating 2 | 15 |
| Rating 1 | 7 |
An independent assessment by HMIP of the level to which prisoners, even the most vulnerable, are held safely.
HMIP inspections are undertaken about once every three years. The data presented here shows the most recent assessment for each prison establishment.
2019-20
| HMIP safety inspection | Count |
|---|---|
| 4 - good | 29 |
| 3 - reasonably good | 32 |
| 2 - not sufficiently good | 43 |
| 1 - poor | 10 |
Internal audit of recording of reportable incidents on the incident reporting system (IRS).
The IRS data quality audit is carried out approximately annually. The data presented here shows the most recent assessment for each prison establishment.
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 81.5%
2019-20
| Incident reporting system data quality audit | Count |
|---|---|
| Rating 4 | 43 |
| Rating 3 | 30 |
| Rating 2 | 18 |
| Rating 1 | 2 |
Assaults subset of the internal audit of recording of reportable incidents on the incident reporting system (IRS).
2019-20
| Incident reporting system assaults check | Count |
|---|---|
| Achieved target | 7,900.0% |
| Did not achieve target | 500.0% |
Self-harm subset of the internal audit of recording of reportable incidents on the incident reporting system (IRS).
2019-20
| Incident reporting system self-harm check | Count |
|---|---|
| Achieved target | 7,100.0% |
| Did not achieve target | 1,100.0% |
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.
| Year | Self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 662 |
| 2019-20 | 777 |
| 2018-19 | 700 |
| 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 2020 to Mar 2021 662
Jun-2021In the 12 months to Mar 2021 there were 678 self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners.
Self inflicted deaths
The number of self inflicted deaths in prisons.
| Year | Self inflicted deaths |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 80 |
| 2019-20 | 78 |
| 2018-19 | 87 |
| 2017-18 | 81 |
| 2016-17 | 100 |
| 2015-16 | 108 |
| 2014-15 | 82 |
| 2013-14 | 92 |
| 2012-13 | 63 |
| 2011-12 | 53 |
| 2010-11 | 63 |
| 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 |
Jul 2020 to Jun 2021 80
Sep-2021In the 12 months to Sep 2021 there were 81 self-inflicted deaths.
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.
| Year | Barricades or prevention of access |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 1,217 |
| 2019-20 | 1,882 |
| 2018-19 | 1,737 |
| 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 2020 to Mar 2021 1,217
The number of incidents where one or more persons are, unlawfully, held against their will by one or more individuals (either static or on the move), including hostage incidents where collusion was suspected or confirmed.
| Year | Hostage incidents |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 38 |
| 2019-20 | 86 |
| 2018-19 | 98 |
| 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 2020 to Mar 2021 38
The number of incidents in which two or more prisoners act together in defiance of a lawful instruction or against the requirements of the regime of the establishment. The act of indiscipline can be active or passive (i.e. involving aggression and violence or not) and the protagonists do not necessarily need to be acting in a common cause.
| Year | Concerted indiscipline |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 159 |
| 2019-20 | 267 |
| 2018-19 | 351 |
| 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 2020 to Mar 2021 159
The number of incidents at height in prisons. An incident at height is defined as any incident taking place at height above or below ground level. This category can come in many forms including prisoners on the netting, climbing over bars or on the roof.
| Year | Incidents at height |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 4,081 |
| 2019-20 | 6,114 |
| 2018-19 | 5,568 |
| 2017-18 | 4,846 |
| 2016-17 | 3,825 |
| 2015-16 | 2,685 |
| 2014-15 | 1,726 |
| 2013-14 | 1,281 |
| 2012-13 | 738 |
Apr 2020 to Mar 2021 4,081
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 55.4%
2019-20
| Risk management audit | Count |
|---|---|
| Rating 4 | 5 |
| Rating 3 | 35 |
| Rating 2 | 29 |
| Rating 1 | 1 |