Friday, July 26, 2024
Prisons in crisis
They say that the figures show self-harm rates in UK prisons are at their highest on record, with 73,804 incidents of self-harm in the past year, the equivalent of one prisoner hurting themselves every seven minutes, while assaults hit a post-pandemic high in the last year, with 28,292 violent assaults across the estate:
The number of prisons deemed overcrowded shot up for the third year in a row, with 23.6 per cent of jails now housing too many prisoners. And prison performance ratings showed four in 10 prisons are now deemed of concern or serious concern.
The MoJ said violence and self-harm are becoming more prevalent because of widespread drug use within prisons, with drug finds having risen 44 per cent compared with the previous 12 months and discoveries of drugs-related equipment soaring 107 per cent.
With The Independent recently revealing figures showing just one in five jails had enough riot officers, the new data showed incidents of violent concerted indiscipline rose 70 per cent to hit 179 in the past year, with a further 58 hostage situations and 7,783 incidents at height, involving inmates climbing onto roofs or netting.
The crisis means prisons, which have been running at 99 per cent capacity since the start of 2023, have struggled to give prisoners time out of cells and deliver the activity needed to combat violence, drug use and self-harm.
The MoJ also warned that the prisons crisis is worsening reoffending rates and putting the public at risk.
Clearly, drastic action is needed to address this problem. This should include looking at a particularly egregious piece of legislation that is sending legitimate and peaceful protestors to jail for lengthy and inappropriate terms in excess of those dished out to those guilty of far more serious crimes.
