The number of deaths in prison has reached a record high with a 30% increase in deaths over the past year. Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show 411 deaths in the last 12 months, with 96 of these being ‘self-inflicted’.
The statistics also reveal 6 homicides in the past year, compared to previous figures of 0 – 3 incidents.
Jessica Pandian from the charity INQUEST, quoted in the Independent, said that ‘these figures demonstrate the inherently destructive nature of prisons, with deaths on the sharp end.’
In the past year, a record of 76,148 incidents of self-harm have been reported, with one incident occurring every 7 minutes according to the Howard League for Penal Reform. A sharp increase in assaults was also reported, with a rise of 7%, and assaults on staff reaching record highs.
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League, reacted to the statistics by saying that the figures ‘spell out the everyday failure presided over by the government. Prisons remain unsafe and mired in distress and misery.’
Deborah Coles, Director at INQUEST, responding to the increase in the statistics in April 2025, stated that ‘[a]s a society we must put an end to locking people up to die’, emphasising that ‘[l]ives are at stake.’ She further said that ‘recommendations from coroners, prison inspection and monitoring boards are routinely ignored, and preventable deaths reoccur.’
Lord Timpson, Prisons Minister, said that the government is responding by building 14,000 prison spaces and reforming prisons. He also said that ‘these figures are a stark reminder of the crisis we inherited in our prisons – with violence, assaults on staff and self-harm all at unacceptable levels.’
