There is a safety crisis in prisons in England and Wales. At the end of January, we learned that the number of people dying behind bars had risen by 15% in the last year, to 394 – the highest level on record. Almost 75,000 self-harm incidents were reported – at a rate of one every seven minutes – and assaults were up by 6% to more than 31,000.
Updated figures are due to be published by the Ministry of Justice at 9.30am on Thursday 30 April. Later that day, we will hold the 16th event in the Howard League Spotlights series, and we will be looking at safety in custody.
Why are so many people coming to harm? And what can be done to make prisons safer? Join us and take part in the discussion as we analyse the morning’s statistics and dissect this topic with a panel of experts.
This online event will be hosted by our Chief Executive, Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.). The panel will include:
- Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform.
- Tim Kerr, Membership Officer at the Howard League for Penal Reform.
This free event will be held on Thursday 30 April 2026, from 2pm to 3.15pm, online via Zoom webinar.
For anyone who cannot make it, this event will be recorded and made available on our YouTube channel.
About the Howard League Spotlights series
Howard League Spotlights is a series of events aimed at lifting the lid on prisons and finding more effective ways to reduce crime. Each event focuses on a particular theme and brings together experts to approach the issue from different perspectives.
Spotlights events are free of charge, but if you would like to support our work, please consider becoming a Howard League member.
Recordings of all Spotlights events can be viewed here.
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