Violence in prisons surges to 74 assaults daily in England and Wales

Violence in British prisons has reached alarming levels, with an average of 74 assaults per day recorded across prisons in England and Wales in 2023, according to an analysis by the House of Commons Library.

The figures commissioned by the Liberal Democrats mark a 28% increase in violent incidents compared to the previous year, totalling 26,912 assaults in 2023.

Among these, over a third targeted prison staff, with 9,204 attacks on workers throughout the year, averaging 25 per day and more than 3,200 assaults were classified as serious.

Josh Babarinde, the Liberal Democrats’ justice spokesperson, said: “With this staggering number of assaults and rates of reoffending through the roof, the Conservatives have left a system that is failing prison staff, failing victims, and failing our communities.”

“Their neglect of our justice system is unforgivable, and their former ministers should hang their heads in shame for this shambolic legacy.”

He said that the government must develop “an urgent plan to make our prisons safer.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The new government inherited overcrowded prisons, plagued by violence and close to collapse. We have taken immediate action to address this crisis, and have a long-term plan to ensure we are never in this position again.

“All assaults in prison are taken extremely seriously.

“Our hard-working staff have tools like Pava synthetic pepper spray and body-worn cameras to keep them safe.

“We will continue to bear down on violence in our prisons.”

Wandsworth Prison, known for its high-profile incidents, including the escape of Daniel Khalife and misconduct by former staff, saw the highest number of assaults, with 1,044 recorded incidents, followed by Berwyn Prison in Wrexham, which reported 783 assaults, and Thameside in London, with 667.

Under Labour’s early release scheme, thousands of prisoners have been freed ahead of schedule to address the overcrowding crisis, allowing offenders to be released after serving 40% of their sentence, rather than the usual 50%.