Accredited official statistics

Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to September 2024 Assaults and Self-harm to June 2024

Published 31 October 2024

Applies to England and Wales

Number of deaths increased from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to September 2024, there were 317 deaths in prison custody, an increase of 4% from 304 deaths in the previous 12 months. Of these, 88 deaths were self-inflicted, a decrease of 4% from the 92 self-inflicted deaths in the previous 12 months.
The rate of self-harm increased in male and decreased in female establishments from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to June 2024, the rate of self-harm was 876 incidents per 1,000 prisoners (76,365 incidents), up 13% from the 12 months to June 2023 to a new peak, comprising of a 20% increase in male establishments to a new peak, but a 7% decrease in female establishments. In the most recent quarter, self-harm incidents were up 5% to 20,322, and the rate was up 5% (with a 5% increase in both male and female establishments). Both the number of incidents and rate peaked in the latest quarter.
The number of individuals who self-harmed increased	There were 13,605 individuals who self-harmed in the 12 months to June 2024, up 16% from the previous 12 months. The number of self-harm incidents per individual increased slightly from 5.5 in the 12 months to June 2023 to 5.6 in the 12 months to June 2024.
The rate of assaults increased from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to June 2024, the rate of assaults was 335 assaults per 1,000 prisoners (29,254 assaults), up 18% from the 12 months to June 2023. In the most recent quarter, assaults were up 2% to 7,521 incidents and the assault rate was up 3% to 87 assaults per 1,000 prisoners.
The rate of assaults on staff increased from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to June 2024, the rate of assaults on staff was 118 assaults per 1,000 prisoners (10,281 assaults on staff), up 23% from the 12 months to June 2023 to a new peak. In the latest quarter the number of assaults on staff was up 2% to 2,655 incidents.
The rate of serious assaults increased 11% of all assaults were serious	In the 12 months to June 2024, the rate of serious assaults was 38 serious assaults per 1,000 prisoners (3,305 serious assaults), up 16% from the 12 months to June 2023. The rate of serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased by 13% to 27 per 1,000 prisoners (2,373 incidents), and the rate of serious assaults on staff increased by 24% to 11 per 1,000 prisoners (974 incidents) in the 12 months to June 2024.

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Statistician’s comment

In the 12 months to September 2024, we have seen an increase in the number of deaths (4% increase). In the 12 months to June 2024, we have seen a 19% increase in the number of self-harm incidents and a 24% rise in the number of assault incidents compared with the previous year. Self-harm is now at the highest level in the time series^{[footnote 1]}. The number of incidents of self-harm and assaults have increased in both male and female establishments over the past 12 months, with the number of assaults in female establishments and self-harm incidents in both male and female establishments reaching their highest level in the time series.

The number of deaths has increased from 304 to 317 in the 12 months to September 2024, with the rate of deaths remaining stable at 3.6 deaths per 1,000 prisoners over the same time period. There were 88 self-inflicted deaths in the latest year, a decrease from 92 in the previous year. The rate of self-inflicted deaths has remained broadly stable at around 1.0 deaths per 1,000 prisoners since the 12 months to September 2017.

There was a 13% increase in the rate^{[footnote 2][footnote 3]} of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners in the 12 months to June 2024, with the rate now peaking at 876 incidents per 1,000 prisoners. However, there continue to be notable differences in self-harm trends by gender. There was an increase in the rate of self-harm incidents in male establishments to a new peak (up 20% to 664 incidents per 1,000 prisoners) and a decrease in the rate in female establishments (down 7% to 5,785 per 1,000 prisoners). The rate is more than eight times higher in female establishments than male establishments, down from more than eleven times higher in the previous 12 months. There was a decrease in the average number of incidents among those who self-harmed in female establishments, from 17.9 to 17.5, and a decrease in the rate of females self-harming (down 5% to 330 self-harming individuals per 1,000 prisoners). For males, there were increases in both the average number of incidents among those who self-harmed in male establishments (from 4.1 to 4.5) and the rate of individuals self-harming (up 11% to 149 self-harming individuals per 1,000 prisoners).

The rate of assault incidents per 1,000 prisoners increased 18% in the 12 months to June 2024, and the rate of serious assaults increased 16% over the same period. The rate of assaults was 66% higher in female establishments than in male establishments. In female establishments the rate increased by 16% to a peak of 543 per 1,000 prisoners, compared to an increase of 18% in male establishments (327 per 1,000 prisoners). However, the proportion of assaults in female establishments that were serious remains lower, at 8% compared with 12% in male establishments, despite the rate of serious assaults now being higher in female establishments (up 72% to a rate of 46) than male establishments (up 14% to a rate of 38) for the first time in the time series.

The rate of assaults on staff increased 23% in the 12 months to June 2024, and both the number and rate of assaults on staff peaked in the latest 12 months. The rate increased in both male and female establishments, although it increased by more in female establishments (a 30% increase to a new peak of 291 per 1,000 prisoners) than in male establishments (a 22% increase to a rate of 110 per 1,000 prisoners).

Background

Safety in custody statistics cover deaths, self-harm and assaults in prison custody in England and Wales, with figures in the summary tables in the quarterly publications presented on a 12-month rolling basis over an 11 year time series^{[footnote 4]}. This release provides statistics on deaths of prisoners to the end of September 2024, and statistics on assaults and self-harm up to the end of June 2024.

The total prison population fell in the period following the first quarter of 2020, more so for certain population groups, but started to increase again in the second quarter of 2021 and as at 30th September 2024 is now higher than pre-Covid levels^{[footnote 5]}. On the 30th September 2024, the total prison population was around 4,000 or 5% higher than at the end of March 2020. The female population has decreased 3% whereas the male population has increased by 5%. There was a large increase in the prison population during 2023, with the population on the 30th September 2024 being around 5,200 or 6% higher than at the end of December 2022 (6% higher in male establishments and 13% higher in female establishments).

These changes in population should be borne in mind when interpreting changes in the numbers of incidents over the past year. In the context of substantial population change, rates per 1,000 prisoners more accurately describe changes in the likelihood of incidents occurring^{[footnote 6]}. Data on deaths, self-harm and assaults are routinely presented as rates of incidents per 1,000 prisoners (as well as numbers) for all prisoners and for the male and female estates.

The comparability of statistics between 2020 and 2022 with other time periods is affected by the differing levels of restrictions implemented within prisons to limit and control the spread of the Covid-19 virus through the National Framework. These restrictions included the implementation of effective isolation of prisoners to reduce the spread of Covid-19, reverse cohorting of new prisoners into custody, and shielding of vulnerable prisoners.

In order to make the best use of capacity across the estate in the light of recent increases in the prison population, young people have routinely been retained in the Youth Custody Service (YCS) estate until their 19th birthday (rather than transferring to an adult prison on or soon after their 18th birthday, as previously occurred in most cases).

This means the age demographic in the young people’s estate, but also in adult prisons, has been slightly different in the most recent few months, compared to previous years.

Supplementary annual tables, providing more in-depth statistics on a calendar year basis, underlying data files with pivot tables providing lower-level granularity, and a technical guidance document are also available alongside this bulletin, at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/safety-in-custody-statistics.

Deaths: 12 months to September 2024

Number of deaths increased from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to September 2024, there were 317 deaths in prison custody, an increase of 4% from 304 deaths in the previous 12 months. In the most recent quarter there were 84 deaths, an 8% increase from 78 deaths in the previous quarter.
Number of self-inflicted deaths decreased from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to September 2024, there were 88 self-inflicted deaths, a decrease of 4% from 92 in the previous 12 months. There were 19 self-inflicted deaths in the most recent quarter, a 5% decrease from 20 in the previous quarter.

Figure 1: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of deaths per 1,000 prisoners, 12 months ending September 2014 to 12 months ending September 2024, with quarterly rates

In the 12 months to September 2024, there were 317 deaths in prison custody (a rate of 3.6 per 1,000 prisoners), a 4% increase from 304 deaths in the previous 12 months (a rate of 3.6 per 1,000 prisoners). Long-term trends and more detail are presented in the annual tables^{[footnote 7]}.

Over the same period, there were 186 deaths due to natural causes (a rate of 2.1 per 1,000 prisoners), which is the same number of deaths by natural causes as in the previous 12 months (rate of 2.2 per 1,000 prisoners).

There were 88 apparent self-inflicted deaths in the 12 months to September 2024 (a rate of 1.0 per 1,000 prisoners), a decrease of 4% from 92 self-inflicted deaths in the previous 12 months (a rate of 1.1 per 1,000 prisoners). The rate of self-inflicted deaths has remained broadly stable at around 1.0 per 1,000 prisoners since the 12 months to September 2017.

There were 39 deaths recorded as ‘Other’ in the 12 months to September 2024, 34 of which are ‘awaiting further information’ prior to being classified. In some cases, the results of the toxicology and post-mortem tests are inconclusive, meaning classification cannot be arrived at until Coroner’s inquest takes place (which can be a considerable time after the death). As a result, the number and rate of deaths in the individual categories are not directly comparable with earlier years: it is likely that numbers in some categories will be revised upwards once classifications have been finalised.

In the most recent quarter there were 84 deaths, an 8% increase from 78 deaths in the previous quarter. There were 19 self-inflicted deaths in the latest quarter, a 5% decrease from 20 in the previous quarter. However, quarterly death figures should be considered with caution due to greater volatility and the potential for seasonal effects^{[footnote 8]}.

Self-harm: 12 months to June 2024

The rate of self-harm incidents increased in the male estate and decreased in the female estate from the previous 12-month period	There were 76,365 self-harm incidents in the 12 months to June 2024, a 19% increase from the previous 12 months (a 26% increase in male establishments and a 3% increase in female establishments). Over the same period the rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners increased by 20% in male establishments and decreased by 7% in female establishments. In the most recent quarter, there were 20,322 self-harm incidents, up 5% on the previous quarter (a 4% increase in male establishments and a 6% increase in female establishments). Over the same period the rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners increased 5% in both male and female establishments.
The number of individuals who self-harmed increased by 16% in the latest year	There were 13,605 individuals who self-harmed in the 12 months to June 2024, a 16% increase from 11,764 in the previous 12 months. The number of self-harm incidents per individual increased slightly from 5.5 in the 12 months to June 2023 to 5.6 in the 12 months to June 2024.

Figure 2: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners, 12 months ending June 2014 to 12 months ending June 2024, with quarterly rates

In the 12 months to June 2024, there were 76,365 reported incidents of self-harm (a rate of 876 per 1,000 prisoners), an increase of 19% from 64,380 in the previous 12 months. The rate of incidents in the latest 12 months increased 13% from the previous 12 months, and both the number and rate of self-harm incidents are now at their highest level in the time series^{[footnote 9]}.

On a quarterly basis, the number of incidents in the three months to June 2024 increased by 5% from the previous quarter, rising from 19,418 to 20,322 incidents. Additionally, the rate of incidents of self-harm in the three months to June 2024 increased by 5% from the previous quarter, rising from 222 to 234 incidents per 1,000 prisoners. Both the number and rate of self-harm incidents reached a new peak in the latest quarter.

The number of individuals who self-harmed increased by 16% to 13,605 in the latest 12 months (a rate of 156 individuals per 1,000 prisoners), from 11,764 in the previous 12 months, the highest number of individuals within the time series. The rate, or proportion, of prisoners self-harming in the latest 12 months was 10% higher than in the previous 12 months, also reaching a new peak. The number of incidents per self-harming individual in the latest 12 months peaked at 5.6, a slight increase from 5.5 in the previous year. A small number of individuals who repeatedly self-harm have a disproportionate impact on this figure: just over a half (53%) of prisoners who self-harmed in 2023 did so more than once.

The number of self-harm incidents requiring hospital attendance^{[footnote 10]} increased by 17% to 3,449 in the 12 months to June 2024 and increased by 6% in the latest quarter to 874 incidents. The proportion of incidents that required hospital attendance has decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 4.5% in the 12 months to June 2024.

Self-harm levels differ considerably by gender. Although the number of incidents in the female estate is smaller than in the male estate, the rate of self-harm per 1,000 prisoners is much higher. In the 12 months to June 2024, there were 55,531 incidents in the male estate compared with 20,834 in the female estate, representing a 26% increase in male establishments and a 3% increase in female establishments compared to the previous year. However, the rate of self-harm in the female estate (5,785 incidents per 1,000 prisoners) was more than eight times higher than in the male estate (664 incidents per 1,000 prisoners), despite a 20% increase in male establishments and a 7% decrease in female establishments^{[footnote 11]}. The difference in the rate has narrowed in the latest 12 months, down from more than eleven times higher in the previous 12 months. The number of incidents and rate of self-harm in the male estate, and the number of incidents in the female estate are now at the highest level in the time series.

On a quarterly basis, the number of incidents in the three months to June 2024 increased by 4% in male establishments and increased by 6% in female establishments compared with the previous three months, with the number of incidents peaking in both male and female establishments in the latest quarter. The rate increased by 5% in both male and female establishments over the same period.

The number of incidents per individual who self-harmed in female establishments was nearly four times that in male establishments. In the 12 months to June 2024 there was 17.5 incidents of self-harm per self-harming female, a decrease from 17.9 in the previous 12 months, compared with 4.5 incidents per self-harming male, an increase from 4.1 in the previous 12 months.

The proportion of females self-harming in the latest 12 months was 330 individuals per 1,000 prisoners, a decrease of 5% from 347 individuals per 1,000 prisoners in the previous 12 months. The decrease in the rate of self-harm in the female estate is driven mainly by this decrease in the proportion of females self-harming, combined with a decrease in incidents per self-harming individual (down 2% to 17.5 incidents per individual). The increase in the rate of self-harm in the male estate is driven by an increase in both the proportion of males self-harming (11% increase to 149 individuals per 1,000 prisoners), and the number of self-harm incidents per individual (8% increase to 4.5 incidents per individual).

Figure 3: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners by gender of establishment, 12 months ending June 2014 to 12 months ending June 2024

Self-harm incidents requiring hospital attendance increased in male establishments by 17%, to 3,040 in the 12 months to June 2024, but the proportion of incidents requiring hospital attendance decreased from 5.9% in the previous 12 months to 5.5% in the latest 12 months. In the female estate 409 self-harm incidents required hospital attendance, a 19% increase from 343 incidents the previous year. The proportion of incidents in the female estate requiring hospital attendance was 2.0% in the 12 months to June 2024, up from 1.7% in the previous 12 months.

As Figure 3 shows, over the last decade there has been more variation in the quarterly rate of self-harm in the female estate than in the male estate. This may in part reflect the impact of the small number of individuals who repeatedly self-harm being greater in the female estate. Fluctuations in the quarterly rates of self-harm in the female estate have been wider since the start of the pandemic.

Assaults: 12 months to June 2024

Assaults and serious assaults increased from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to June 2024, there were 29,254 assault incidents, a 24% increase from the previous 12 months. Of these, 3,305 were serious assaults, up 22%. Rates of assault increased by 18% to 335 incidents per 1,000 prisoners, and serious assault increased by 16% to 38 in the latest 12 months. Assaults increased by 2% in the latest quarter to 7,521 incidents while the number of serious assaults increased by 3% to 858 incidents.
The rate of assault per 1,000 prisoners remained higher in female than male establishments	The rate of assault in male establishments increased by 18% from the previous 12 months, while the rate in female establishments increased by 16%. Assault rates for the 12 months to June 2024 remained higher in female establishments (543 incidents per 1,000 prisoners) than in male establishments (327 incidents per 1,000 prisoners). Both the number of incidents and the rate reached a new peak in female establishments in the latest 12 months.
Assaults on staff increased from the previous 12-month period	There were 10,281 assaults on staff in the 12 months to June 2024, a 30% increase from the previous 12 months, and a new peak. In the latest quarter the number of assaults on staff increased by 2% to 2,655 incidents. In the latest 12 months, the rate of assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners increased by 23% to 118 incidents per 1,000 prisoners, a new peak. During this period, the rate in male establishments increased by 22% to 110 assaults per 1,000 prisoners and increased by 30% to a new peak of 291 assaults per 1,000 prisoners in female establishments.

Figure 4: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of total assaults by gender of establishment, 12 months ending June 2014 to 12 months ending June 2024, with quarterly rates

In the 12 months to June 2024, assault incidents increased by 24% to 29,254 (a rate of 335 incidents per 1,000 prisoners) from 23,554 in the previous 12 months. The rate of assaults in the latest 12 months was 18% higher than in the previous 12 months. The number and rate of assault incidents remain lower than pre-pandemic levels, with the rate of assault incidents in the latest year being 13% lower than the rate of assaults in the 12 months to June 2019.

In the latest quarter there were 7,521 assaults, up 2% from the previous quarter. The number of assaults and the quarterly rate remain lower than their peak in the July to September 2018 quarter.

The number of incidents in male establishments increased by 24% to 27,298 in the 12 months to June 2024 (a rate of 327 per 1,000 prisoners), from 22,024 in the previous 12 months. The rate of assaults in male establishments in the latest 12 months was 18% higher than in the previous 12 months.

The number of incidents in female establishments increased by 28% to 1,956 incidents in the 12 months to June 2024 (a rate of 543 per 1,000 prisoners), from 1,530 in the previous 12 months. The rate of assaults in female establishments in the latest 12 months was 16% higher than in the previous 12 months. The rate and number of incidents in the female estate are now at their highest level in the time series^{[footnote 12]}, while remaining lower than pre-pandemic in male establishments.

Assault rates have been higher in female establishments than in male establishments since the 12 months to June 2019, after previously being higher in male establishments. The rate of incidents has decreased in female establishments in each of the last two quarters, resulting in a decrease in the relative difference between the rate in female establishments and the rate in male establishments in the latest year.

In the latest quarter, the number of assaults in male establishments increased by 3% to 7,051 incidents, and the number of assaults in female establishments decreased by 5% to 470. During this period the rate of assaults increased by 3% to 87 assaults per 1,000 prisoners, comprising a 3% increase in male establishments (to 85 assaults per 1,000 prisoners) and 6% decrease in female establishments (to 129 assaults per 1,000 prisoners).

Figure 5: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and assaults on staff, 12 months ending June 2014 to 12 months ending June 2024, with quarterly rates

There were 19,285 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults^{[footnote 13]} in the 12 months to June 2024 (a rate of 221 per 1,000 prisoners), an increase of 21% from the 15,917 assaults in the previous 12 months. The rate of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults in the latest 12 months was 15% higher than in the previous 12 months. In the latest quarter, there were 4,937 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, a 2% increase from 4,861 in the previous quarter.

There were 10,281 assaults on staff^{[footnote 14]} in the 12 months to June 2024 (a rate of 118 per 1,000 prisoners), an increase of 30% from the 7,907 assaults in the previous 12 months and a new peak in the time series. The rate of assaults on staff in the latest 12 months was 23% higher than in the previous 12 months, and reached a new peak. In the latest quarter, there were 2,655 assaults on staff, an increase of 2% from 2,602 incidents in the previous quarter.

The proportion of assaults on staff^{[footnote 15]} increased to 35% of all incidents in the 12 months to June 2024. In the 12 months to June 2024, the proportion of assaults that were on staff remained higher in female establishments (54%) than in male establishments (34%).

In male establishments, prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased by 22% to 18,362 incidents (220 incidents per 1,000 male prisoners) in the 12 months to June 2024, and the rate increased by 16%. Assaults on staff increased 29% to reach a new peak of 9,234 incidents, and the rate increased by 22% to 110 incidents per 1,000 male prisoners.

In female establishments, prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased by 13% to 923 incidents (256 incidents per 1,000 female prisoners) in the 12 months to June 2024, and the rate increased by 3%. Assaults on staff increased by 44% to 1,047 incidents (291 incidents per 1,000 female prisoners) in the 12 months to June 2024, and the rate increased by 30%. In the 12 months to June 2024, the rate and number of both prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and assaults on staff in female establishments reached a new peak, with the increase in assaults on staff being much larger.

Serious assaults

Of the 29,254 assault incidents, 3,305 (11%) were serious	In the 12 months to June 2024, there were 3,305 serious assault incidents, a 22% increase from the previous 12 months. The rate of serious assaults increased by 16% over the period. Serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased by 19% to 2,373, and serious assaults on staff increased by 31% to 974, a new peak, in the 12 months to June 2024.

Serious assaults are those which fall into one or more of the following categories: a sexual assault; requires detention in outside hospital as an in-patient; requires medical treatment for concussion or internal injuries; or incurs any of the following injuries: a fracture, scald or burn, stabbing, crushing, extensive or multiple bruising, black eye, broken nose, lost or broken tooth, cuts requiring suturing, bites, temporary or permanent blindness.

Figure 6: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of total serious assaults, serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, and serious assaults on staff, 12 months ending June 2014 to 12 months ending June 2024

In the latest 12 months, 11% of assaults were serious assaults. This is unchanged from 11% in the previous 12 months to June 2023 and has remained broadly consistent throughout the time series. The proportion of all assaults that were serious remained higher in male establishments (12%) than in female establishments (8%).

In the 12 months to June 2024, there were 3,305 serious assaults (a rate of 38 per 1,000 prisoners), a 22% increase from the previous 12 months. The rate of serious assaults in the latest 12 months was 16% higher than in the previous 12 months. Both the number and rate of serious assaults peaked in the latest 12 months in female establishments, and the rate was higher in female establishments than male establishments for the first time. In the latest quarter, there were 858 serious assaults, a 3% increase from the previous quarter.

There were 2,373 serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults (a rate of 27 per 1,000 prisoners) in the 12 months to June 2024, a 19% increase from 1,988 in the previous 12 months. The rate of serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults in the latest 12 months was 13% higher than in the previous 12 months. In the latest quarter, there were 623 serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, a 7% increase from the previous quarter.

In the 12 months to June 2024, the rate of serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults was higher in the female estate (a rate of 28 per 1,000 prisoners, the highest in the series) compared to the male estate (27 per 1,000 prisoners) for the first time in the time series^{[footnote 16]}\s. This represents an increase on the previous 12 months of 12% in the male estate and 74% in the female estate.

There were 974 serious assaults on staff (a rate of 11 per 1,000 prisoners) in the 12 months to June 2024, a 31% increase from 746 in the previous 12 months. The rate of serious assaults on staff was 24% higher than in the previous 12 months, and the rate increased by more in female establishments (a 73% increase, to a peak of 19 incidents per 1,000 prisoners) than in male establishments (an 21% increase, to 11 incidents per 1,000 prisoners). In the latest quarter, the number of serious assaults on staff decreased by 9% to 242 incidents.

Further information

Accredited official statistics status

National Statistics are accredited official statistics^{[footnote 17]} that meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value.

All official statistics should comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. They are awarded National Statistics status following an assessment by the UK Statistics Authority’s (UKSA) regulatory arm. The UKSA considers whether the statistics meet the highest standards of Code compliance, including the value they add to public decisions and debate.

These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in March 2013. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.

It is the Ministry of Justice’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected for National Statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the UKSA promptly. National Statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored.

Future publications

Our statisticians regularly review the content of publications. Development of new and improved statistical outputs is usually dependent on reallocating existing resources. As part of our continual review and prioritisation, we welcome user feedback on existing outputs including content, breadth, frequency and methodology. Please send any comments you have on this publication including suggestions for further developments or reductions in content.

Accompanying files

As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release:

• A technical guide providing further information on how the data are collected and processed, as well as information on the revisions policy and legislation relevant to sentencing trends and background on the functioning of the criminal justice system.

• A set of summary tables for the latest quarter, and annual tables up to the latest calendar year.

• Underlying data files with pivot tables, giving lower level granularity.

Contact

Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office: Tel: 020 3334 3536 Email: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/media-enquiries

Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to:

Prison Safety Statistics Analysis Team

Data and Analysis, Ministry of Justice,
102 Petty France,
London,
SW1H 9AJ

Email: [email protected]

Next update: January 2025 URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/safety-in-custody-statistics

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Produced by the Ministry of Justice.

Alternative formats are available on request from [email protected]

1. The time series for assault incidents starts in 2000, and self-harm incidents starts in 2004. ↩

2. Rates reflect the changes in the number of incidents, as well as the changes in prison population over time. More information can be found in the accompanying guide. Data on population statistics are published in the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly. ↩

3. See Guide to Safety in Custody Statistics for a summary of how rates are calculated. ↩

4. Data on deaths is published three months ahead of self-harm and assaults. Therefore, the deaths annual publication and tables are published alongside the Safety in Custody quarterly update to September publication. ↩

5. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly. Quarterly population data to December 2023 is published in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin, England and Wales Quarterly. ↩

6. The comparability over the year of other measures that are based on self-harming individuals (such as the number of incidents per self-harming individual, or the proportion of incidents requiring hospital attendance) are not affected by changes in population size. ↩

7. Data on deaths are published three months ahead of assaults and self-harm, therefore, the annual publication Deaths in prison custody for 1978 to 2023 is published in the Safety in Custody quarterly update to September 2023 ↩

8. Seasonal effects refer to variation in timeseries data that occur at regular intervals (typically intervals shorter than a year e.g. monthly or quarterly). ↩

9. The time series for assault incidents starts in 2000, and self-harm incidents starts in 2004. ↩

10. An incident of self-harm requiring hospitalisation does not only reflect the seriousness of the incident. This also depends on the healthcare facilities at the establishment, which vary across the estate. ↩

11. The average female population increased 6% between the 12 months to June 2023 and the 12 months to June 2024, which meant that despite an increase in the number of self-harm incidents in female establishments (a 3% increase in the 12 months to June 2024), the rate per 1,000 prisoners decreased (a 7% decrease) in the same time period. ↩

12. The time series for assault incidents starts in 2000, and self-harm incidents starts in 2004. ↩

13. This figure includes any prisoner-on-prisoner assaults where there may also have been an assault on staff. ↩

14. There was a change in how staff assaults have been recorded from April 2017, this has simplified how incidents involving staff are identified, however it is possible this has increased the recording of incidents. Please see the Guide to Safety in Custody statistics for further information. ↩

15. Some assault incidents may be recorded as both a prisoner-on-prisoner assault and an assault on staff, so the sum of the two categories may exceed the total number of assaults. ↩

16. The time series for assault incidents starts in 2000, and self-harm incidents starts in 2004. ↩

17. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 ↩