Howard League responds to prison safety statistics

The number of people who have died in prisons in England and Wales is falling, but incidents of self-injury continue to rise year on year, figures seen by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (Thursday 30 July).

A statistical bulletin published by the Ministry of Justice shows that 294 people died in prison custody in the 12 months to the end of June 2020. They included 76 people who lost their lives through suicide. Between March and June 2020, 26 people died in circumstances where Covid-19 was assessed to be a contributory factor.

The bulletin states that prisons recorded 64,552 incidents of self-injury in the 12 months to the end of March 2020, at a rate of one every eight minutes. This represents an 11 per cent rise compared to the previous 12 months.

Over the same period, prisons recorded 31,568 assaults – one every 17 minutes. This is an 8 per cent reduction on the figures for the previous 12 months.

The figures for assaults and self-injury incidents are from the 12 months immediately before severely restricted regimes were imposed in prisons in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today the Ministry of Justice has also published its annual prison performance ratings. Seven prisons – Bedford, Bristol, Feltham (holding children and young adults), Hewell, Lewes, Pentonville and Wormwood Scrubs – have been awarded the lowest possible rating, with their performance assessed as being “of serious concern”.

Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “After many years when the tide of tragedy and violence in prisons rose higher and higher, it is welcome to see that fewer people have died and fewer people have been assaulted.

“But it is disappointing to see that the annual number of incidents of self-injury has continued to rise, and this is particularly concerning given the enforced lockdown that was introduced in March in response to the pandemic.

“While we understand that recorded incidents of self-injury may have fallen since the lockdown began, we should bear in mind that recording itself will have been affected by the severely restricted regimes. We should also bear in mind that mental distress caused by isolation can affect people in many different ways, some of which play out over the long term.

“It underlines the need for restrictions to be lifted safely so that prisons can provide purposeful regimes that give people an opportunity to make amends.”

Since March, the Howard League has published briefings showing the impact that the coronavirus restrictions have had on people in prison, including children and young adults. Tens of thousands of people have been living in solitary confinement or overcrowded conditions for four months.

Throughout the pandemic, the Howard League has continued to run its confidential legal service, including a telephone advice line available to children and young adults under the age of 21 in custody. Between 24 March and 18 June, the charity received almost 2,000 calls on the advice line from children and young adults, as well as from their families and other professionals.

Notes to editors

1. 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.
2. The Howard League and another charity, Centre for Mental Health, worked together on a joint programme on preventing people dying by suicide in prison. Further information about the programme can be found on the Howard League website.
3. Children in prison during the Covid-19 pandemic, a briefing by the Howard League, can be downloaded from the charity’s website.
4. Young Adults in prison during the Covid-19 pandemic, a briefing by the Howard League, can be downloaded from the charity’s website.
5. The Ministry of Justice statistical bulletin, Safety in custody quarterly bulletin: March 2020, can be found online.
6. The Ministry of Justice bulletin, Annual Prison Performance Ratings Statistical Bulletin 2019 to 2020, can be found online.

Contact

Rob Preece
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