Howard League responds to safety in custody statistics 

The number of people dying in prison rose by 30% in the past year and assaults on staff reached a record high, official data seen by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (Thursday 30 October). 

A statistical bulletin, published by the Ministry of Justice, shows that 411 people in prison died in the 12 months to the end of September 2025. They included 96 people who died in circumstances recorded as “self-inflicted”.  

Six homicides were recorded in the same time period. In most calendar years there are usually between 0 and 3 total homicides.

Prisons recorded 76,148 incidents of self-harm in the 12 months to the end of June 2025, at a rate of one every seven minutes.

Over the same period, prisons recorded 31,268 assaults – a seven per cent rise on the figures for the previous 12 months. Assaults on staff reached an all-time high, with 10,477 incidents recorded.

Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “With problems in the prison system recently hitting the headlines, today’s safety in custody figures spell out the everyday failure presided over by the government. Prisons remain unsafe and mired in distress and misery. 

“This matters to all of us as exposing people to violence and despair is no way to prepare individuals for a crime-free life on release. 

“The Sentencing Bill is now before Parliament and aims to reduce pressure on our overcrowded prisons. That is a welcome first step but far more must be done to turn this failing system around.”

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 losing their lives through suicide in prison. Further information about the programme can be found on the Howard League website at: https://howardleague.org/our-work/transform-prisons/preventing-deaths-in-prison/inquiry-into-preventing-prison-suicides/  
   
3. The Ministry of Justice statistical bulletin, Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to September 2025 Assaults and Self-harm to June 2025, can be accessed online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-june-2025/safety-in-custody-statistics-england-and-wales-deaths-in-prison-custody-to-september-2025-assaults-and-self-harm-to-june-2025  

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Noor Khan
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