“A NATIONAL SCANDAL”

THE NUMBER OF PRISONERS SELF-HARMING IN PRISONS IS SOARING

Arecord number of self-harm incidents are taking place in prisons, in what experts are calling “a national scandal”.

There were 44,651 such incidents recorded in 2017, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice.

That is up from 40,160 in 2016 and is the highest level since at least 2004, when comparable records began.

The number of individuals committing self-harm is on the rise, too.

The figure stood at 11,630 in 2017, again the highest on recent record.

It works out as a rate of 136 prisoners among every 1,000 that self-harmed in the year - or nearly one in every seven.

The frequency of serious incidents has also risen.

In 2017, there were 3,067 cases that resulted in a hospital attendance - up from 2,740 in 2016, and nearly triple the 1,093 recorded in 2004.

The figures show that female prisoners were more than twice as likely to self-harm as male prisoners.

Some 300 out of every 1,000 female inmates self-harmed in 2017 equivalent to almost one in three.

In comparison, 128 out of every 1,000 male inmates self-harmed - equivalent to just over one in eight.

In September last year the government undertook a Rapid Evidence Assessment to improve understanding of self-harm in adult men in prison.

The assessment found that people were at increased risk of self-harm in their early days in prison.

And the new figures show that prisoners (including women) were most likely to self harm after spending between one and three months behind bars - accounting for 23 per cent of incidents in 2017.

At the same time as incidents are on the rise, staff numbers are falling.

There were 39,407 people working in prisons in 2011/12. The number has fallen in each successive year and stood at 29,886 in 2016/17.

Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “The alarming rise in incidents of self-injury is a national scandal, and a direct result of a failed policy to allow the number of people behind bars to grow unchecked while starving prisons of resources.

“Cramming more and more people into overcrowded jails was a recipe for violence, drug abuse and mental distress, and although the prison population has reduced slightly over the last 12 months, the damage caused may never be repaired.

“Ministers have rightly identified that we must ease pressure on the prison system, and abolishing short sentences would be a welcome first step.

“Further action to reduce the prison population would save lives, protect staff and prevent more people being swept into deeper currents of crime and despair.”

David Gauke, Justice Secretary, said: “Violence and self-harm in our prisons is unacceptably high and these figures underline why we are spending an extra £70m to fight the drugs plaguing prisons and boost security while also training over 4,000 new prison officers in handling the complex offender population.

“Clearly there is huge amount yet to be done but I am determined to cut the violence so prisons can focus on rehabilitating the offenders who will be back out at some point.”

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