30 Jan 2025
Death toll in prisons in England and Wales rose by 10% in 2024
The number of people dying in prison in England and Wales rose by 10% last year, official data seen by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (Thursday 30 January).
A statistical bulletin, published by the Ministry of Justice, shows that 342 people in prison died in 2024, up from 311 the previous year. They included 89 people who died in circumstances recorded as “self-inflicted”. There were seven homicides – the highest number since 2015.
Prisons saw 77,869 incidents of self-harm in the 12 months to the end of September 2024, recording 213 per day on average. The self-harm rate among men rose by 14% during the 12-month period, reaching a new peak. But the rate of self-harm among women remains much higher, now standing at eight times the rate for men.
Over the same period, prisons recorded 29,881 assaults – a 14% rise on the figures for the previous 12 months.
Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “2024 was a terrible year for people living and working in prisons in England and Wales, and no statistic can adequately convey the scale of suffering and human misery that exists behind bars.
“The rising death toll is a tragic consequence of the neglect and decay in a toxic system that has been asked to do too much, with too little, for too long. The government has taken steps to reduce the prison population in the short term, but numbers are rising again and further action will be needed to save lives and help people move on from crime.
“The sentencing review now in progress presents a chance to reduce the load on a criminal justice system that is holding the country back and stands on the brink of collapse. This is an opportunity we must grasp with both hands, and there is not a moment to lose.”
Notes to editors
- The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the world. It is a national charity working for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.
- The Howard League and another charity, Centre for Mental Health, worked together on a joint programme on preventing people losing their lives through suicide in prison. Further information about the programme can be found here.
- The Ministry of Justice statistical bulletin, Safety in custody statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to December 2024 Assaults and Self-Harm to September 2024, can be accessed here.
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Noor Khan
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