New Government data out yesterday (25.1.24) shows a rising rate of self-harm in women’s prisons, increasing by 43% over the 12 months to September 2023. Assaults in women’s prisons have also risen 19% in the past year. The full data set is available here.
Campbell Robb, Nacro chief executive, comments: “These figures paint a damning picture of a broken system which is letting woman down at every turn. Behind the shocking rises in self-harm and assaults are women who are desperate and deeply traumatised. The vast majority of women are sent to prison for non-violent offences yet a prison sentence sets off a grenade in their lives. They lose their job, home, children. Then at this time of crisis they are thrown into the inherently traumatising environment of prison.”
“The situation in prisons is made worse by the current issues of understaffing and over population, with people being held in prisons a long way from home, not being able to receive mental health support, less meaningful activity and less time out of their cells. Government must act now to reduce the numbers of woman in and going to prison, to increased the number of staff and support in woman’s prisons and urgently review its approach.”