Howard League responds to safety in custody statistics 

There have been welcome reductions in overall deaths and self-harm in prison, but a concerning rise in homicides and serious violence, official data seen by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveals today (Thursday 30 April).

A statistical bulletin, published by the Ministry of Justice, shows that 352 people in prison died in the 12 months to the end of March 2026. They included 67 people who died in circumstances recorded as “self-inflicted”.

Prisons recorded 72,753 incidents of self-harm in the 12 months to the end of December 2025, at a rate of one every seven minutes. Rates of self-harm fell by 8% in men’s prisons and fell by 5% in women’s prisons.

Over the same period, prisons recorded 31,345 assaults – a 2.7% rise on the rate of assaults for the previous 12 months. Serious assaults also increased and the rate of serious assaults was up 2.8% on the previous year.  

There were nine homicides in the 12 months to March 2026, an increase from six homicides in the previous 12 months and the highest figure since recording began. In the six years prior to the 12 months to March 2025, there were one to three total homicides per year.

Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “It is encouraging to see a fall in deaths in custody, although it is important to recognise deaths had surged to a record high in 2025. There has also been a welcome drop in the rates of people self-harming, but there remains much to be concerned about. 

“The highest ever number of homicides in prison and increases in serious assaults reveals how violent and dangerous our prisons remain. People in the care of the state should be granted safety as a bare minimum, but these figures show that even this low bar is still not being met.  

“Nine homicides in a year is shocking and would be a national scandal in any other public institution. The government must act urgently to improve conditions and safety for people in our prisons, before more lives are lost.” 

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 March 2026 Assaults and Self-harm to December 2025, can be accessed online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-december-2025/safety-in-custody-statistics-england-and-wales-deaths-in-prison-custody-to-march-2026-assaults-and-self-harm-to-december-2025  

Contact 

Noor Khan
Press and Public Affairs Officer
Tel: +44 (0)20 7241 7873
Email: [email protected]