National statistics

Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to September 2022 Assaults and Self-harm to June 2022

Published 27 October 2022

Applies to England and Wales

Number of deaths decreased from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to September 2022, there were 307 deaths in prison custody, a decrease of 22% from 396 deaths the previous 12 months. Of these, 70 deaths were self-inflicted, a 16% decrease from the 83 self-inflicted deaths in the previous 12 months. In the most recent quarter there were 84 deaths, a 20% increase from 70 deaths in the previous quarter.
The number and rate of self-harm incidents were almost unchanged in both male and female establishments from the previous 12-month period	There were 52,972 self-harm incidents in the 12 months to June 2022, almost unchanged from the previous 12 months (0.4% increase), comprising increases of 0.2% in male establishments and 1% in female establishments. Over the same period, the rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners, which takes account of the increase in the prison population between this and the previous year, decreased 1% in male establishments but remained unchanged in female establishments. In the most recent quarter, there were 13,052 self-harm incidents, up 7% on the previous quarter, comprising increases of 3% in male establishments and 17% in female establishments.
The number of individuals who self-harmed decreased	There were 10,965 individuals who self-harmed in the 12 months to June 2022, down 3% from the previous 12 months. The number of self-harm incidents per individual increased from 4.6 in the 12 months to June 2021 to 4.8 in the 12 months to June 2022.
Assaults increased from the previous 12-month period	There were 20,551 assault incidents in the 12 months to June 2022, up 12% from the 12 months to June 2021. In the most recent quarter, assaults were up 13% to 5,319 incidents.
Assaults on staff increased from the previous 12-month period	There were 7,459 assaults on staff in the 12 months to June 2022, up 4% from the 12 months to June 2021. In the latest quarter the number of assaults on staff increased by 4% to 1,780 incidents.
The number of serious assaults increased 11% of all assaults were serious	In the 12 months to June 2022, there were 2,225 serious assault incidents, an increase of 16% from the previous 12 months. Serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased by 21% to 1,545, and serious assaults on staff increased 8% to 718 in the 12 months to June 2022.

Statistician’s comment

In the 12 months to June 2022, we have seen an increase in the number of assault incidents, but the number of self-harm incidents is almost unchanged (a 0.4% increase) compared with the previous year. In the 12 months to September 2022, we have seen a decrease in the number of deaths. Both assaults and self-harm incidents remain lower than pre-pandemic levels, and comparisons of these statistics with earlier periods will reflect the impact of Covid-19 as well as underlying trends.

Deaths have decreased by 22% to 307 deaths in the 12 months to September 2022. This has been driven by a decrease in the number of deaths related to Covid-19. There were 84 deaths in the latest quarter, much lower than the peak of 153 in the January to March 2021 quarter. Only 5 were suspected to be due to Covid-19, up from 2 in the previous quarter but much lower than 60 in the January to March 2021 quarter. There were 70 self-inflicted deaths in the latest year, a decrease from 83 in the previous year and the lowest since the year to September 2013.

The rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners decreased 1% in the 12 months to June 2022, comprising a 1% decrease in male establishments and no change in female establishments. The rate reflected the number of self-harm incidents remaining almost unchanged (a 0.4% increase) in the 12 months to June 2022, and a small increase in the prison population over the same period (as set out in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly^{[footnote 1]}).

There continue to be considerable differences in self-harm trends by gender. In male establishments the average number of incidents among those who self-harmed remained broadly stable, increasing slightly from 4.0 to 4.1. In contrast, in female establishments, there was a large increase in the average number of incidents among those who self-harmed from 10.1 to 11.5, continuing a trend seen for the last five years.

The rate of assault incidents per 1,000 prisoners increased 11% in the 12 months to June 2022, and the rate of serious assaults increased 15% over the same period. The rate of assaults was 53% higher in female establishments than in male establishments and saw a greater increase in the latest 12 months, increasing by 30% compared to an increase of 10% in male establishments. However, the proportion of assaults in female establishments that were serious was lower, at 6% compared with 11% in male establishments.

The rate of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased 16% in the 12 months to June 2022, and the rate of serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased 19%. The rate of assaults on staff also increased but to a lesser extent: the rate of staff assaults increased 3% and the rate of serious assaults on staff increased 6%. This is influenced by the reduced contact included in prison regimes to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection at different periods since March 2020, and an exit from the National Framework in May 2022.

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 2]}. This release provides statistics on deaths of prisoners to the end of September 2022, and deaths from Covid-19 have been presented in the section below.

The release also provides statistics on assaults and self-harm up to the end of June 2022. The latest 12-month data reflects a second year of Covid-19 restrictions being implemented within prisons to limit and control the spread of the virus, and an exit from the National Framework in May 2022. These restrictions included the implementation of effective isolation of prisoners, reverse cohorting of new entrants to custody, and shielding of vulnerable prisoners. During this period, we have seen progression of establishments to different levels of the National Framework for managing Covid with most establishments reaching Stage 2 or 1 before the Omicron outbreak in December 2021. See Further Information at the end of this bulletin on the managing and running of prisons during the pandemic.

The total prison population has fallen since the first quarter of 2020, more so for certain population groups^{[footnote 3]}. As at 31 June 2022, the total prison population was around 2,300 or 3% smaller than at the end of March 2020. The female population has reduced by 10%, whereas the male population has reduced by 2%. However, the latest monthly prison population has increased 4% from its lowest level in April 2021.

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 4]}. 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 the male and female estates. Additional commentary is offered where these rates indicate different trends to the numbers of incidents.

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.

Youth estate and changes in methodology in Safety in Custody

These statistics exclude incidents that occurred in the youth estate that were previously included within this publication. Readers should be aware of the ‘Safety in the children and young people secure estate’ statistics bulletin which is published simultaneously to this Safety in Custody quarterly bulletin. This provides quarterly statistics on assault and self-harm incidents for children and young people in the secure estate, and is published at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/safety-in-the-youth-secure-estate-bulletin

Figures for the number of self-harm and assault incidents occurring within the youth estate were removed from the published Safety in Custody statistics from the July 2022 release, please see the previous publication for more details. The figures in this publication exclude incidents occurring within the youth estate from April 2018 onwards for assaults, and from April 2019 onwards for self-harm. It has not been possible to identify such incidents occurring in the youth estate before these dates and so create a longer consistent time-series. This is because figures for incidents occurring within the youth estate for assaults up to March 2018 and for self-harm up to March 2019 were collected via manual returns. This has led to a discontinuity in the time series for assaults and self-harm. The Safety in Custody time series includes deaths in the youth estate, with the last recorded death being in 2019.

Deaths: 12 months to September 2022

Number of deaths decreased from the previous 12-month period	In the 12 months to September 2022, there were 307 deaths in prison custody, a decrease of 22% from 396 deaths in the previous 12 months which reflects a reduction in the number of deaths related to Covid-19. There were 70 self-inflicted deaths, a decrease of 16% from 83 in the previous 12 months. In the most recent quarter there were 84 deaths, an 20% increase from 70 deaths in the previous quarter.
The number of deaths related to Covid-19 decreased in the most recent quarter, although the number of deaths due to Covid-19 increased	In the most recent quarter (July to September 2022), there were 5 deaths (6% of total deaths) that were suspected to be due to Covid-19, an increase from 2 deaths (3% of total deaths) in the previous quarter. In the same period, there were 7 deaths (8% of total deaths) within 28 days of having a positive Covid-19 test or where there was a clinical assessment that Covid-19 was a contributory factor, a decrease from 9 deaths (13% of all deaths) in the previous quarter. There were 21 self-inflicted deaths in the most recent quarter, up from 12 in the previous quarter.

Figure 1: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of deaths per 1,000 prisoners, 12 months ending September 2012 to 12 months ending September 2022, with quarterly rates

In the 12 months to September 2022, there were 307 deaths in prison custody (a rate of 3.8 per 1,000 prisoners), a decrease from 396 deaths in the previous 12 months (a rate of 5.1 per 1,000 prisoners). Long-term trends and more detail are presented in the annual tables^{[footnote 5]}.

Over the same period, there were 198 deaths due to natural causes (a rate of 2.5 per 1,000 prisoners), a 32% decrease from 290 deaths (a rate of 3.7 per 1,000 prisoners) in the previous 12 months. This decrease of 92 in deaths due to natural causes in the 12 months to September 2022 reflects the fact that there were a large number of deaths from Covid-19 in the previous year (with further information on these below).

There were 70 apparent self-inflicted deaths in the 12 months to September 2022 (a rate of 0.9 per 1,000 prisoners), a decrease of 16% from 83 self-inflicted deaths in the previous 12 months (a rate of 1.1 per 1,000 prisoners).

There were 38 deaths recorded as ‘Other’ in the 12 months to September 2022, 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 inquest (which can be a considerable time after the death). As a result, the number of deaths in the individual categories is 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, a 20% increase from 70 deaths in the previous quarter. There were 21 self-inflicted deaths in the latest quarter, an increase from 12 in the previous quarter. However, quarterly death figures should be considered with caution due to greater volatility and the potential for seasonal effects.

Deaths from Covid-19

From the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to the end of September 2022, 208 prisoners have died within 28 days of having a positive Covid-19 test or where there was a clinical assessment that Covid-19 was a contributory factor in their deaths regardless of the cause of death. Of these 208 deaths, 157 are suspected to be due to Covid-19^{[footnote 6]}. The remaining 51 deaths are believed to be due to other causes although the prisoner had tested positive for Covid-19.

In the latest quarter (July to September 2022), a smaller proportion of deaths were related to Covid-19 than in the previous quarter. In this quarter, 8% of all deaths were of prisoners who had died within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19, down from 13% of all deaths in the previous quarter and below a peak of 47% in January to March 2021. Deaths suspected to have been due to Covid-19 made up 6% of all deaths in the latest quarter, up from 3% in the previous quarter and below a peak of 39% in January to March 2021.

As with all deaths in prison custody, each case will be investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and subject to an inquest to determine the official cause of death and where necessary this data will be updated.

The most up to date data on deaths suspected to be due to Covid-19 can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics-monthly.

Self-harm: 12 months to June 2022

The rate of self-harm incidents decreased in the male estate from the previous 12-month period but remained unchanged in the female estate	There were 52,972 self-harm incidents in the 12 months to June 2022, almost unchanged (0.4% increase) from the previous 12 months (a 0.2% increase in male establishments and a 1% increase in female establishments). Over the same period the rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners decreased by 1% in male establishments and remained unchanged in female establishments. In the most recent quarter there were 13,052 self-harm incidents, up 7% on the previous quarter (increases of 3% in male establishments and 17% in female establishments).
The number of individuals who self-harmed decreased 3% in the latest year.	There were 10,965 individuals who self-harmed in the 12 months to June 2022, a 3% decrease from 11,356 in the previous 12 months. The number of self-harm incidents per individual increased from 4.6 in the 12 months to June 2021 to 4.8 in the 12 months to June 2022.

Statistics for the 12 months to June 2022 relate to the second 12-month period since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 and the restricted regimes prisons put in place in order to safely manage the risks of infection during the pandemic. We have also seen an exit from the National Framework in May 2022, so some of the figures within the latest 12 months cover the period since the exit (see Further Information at the end of this bulletin). This affects the comparability of the statistics with earlier periods.

Figure 2: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners, 12 months ending June 2012 to 12 months ending June 2022, with quarterly rates

In the 12 months to June 2022, there were 52,972 reported incidents of self-harm (a rate of 670 per 1,000 prisoners), almost unchanged (0.4% increase) from 52,780 in the previous 12 months. The rate of incidents in the latest 12 months was 1% lower than in the previous 12 months.

On a quarterly basis, the number of incidents in the three months to June 2022 increased by 7% from the previous quarter, from 12,252 to 13,052 incidents.

The number of individuals who self-harmed decreased by 3% to 10,965 in the latest 12 months (a rate of 139 individuals per 1,000 prisoners), from 11,356 in the previous 12 months. The rate, or proportion, of prisoners self-harming in the latest 12 months was 5% lower than in the previous 12 months. The number of incidents per self-harming individual in the latest 12 months was 4.8, an increase from 4.6 in the previous year. A small number of prolific self-harmers have a disproportionate impact on this figure: just over a half (52%) of prisoners who self-harmed in 2021 did so more than once.

The number of self-harm incidents requiring hospital attendance decreased by 1% to 2,692 in the 12 months to June 2022 but increased by 6% in the latest quarter to 700 incidents. The proportion of incidents that required hospital attendance was decreasing in the years before the pandemic, but remained unchanged at 5.1% of incidents in the latest 12 months.

Self-harm trends 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 2022, there were 40,717 incidents in the male estate compared with 12,255 in the female estate. However, the rate of self-harm was seven times higher in the female estate, with 3,810 incidents per 1,000 female prisoners and 537 incidents per 1,000 male prisoners.

The number of incidents per individual who self-harmed in female establishments was more than twice that in male establishments: in the 12 months to June 2022 there were 11.5 incidents of self-harm per self-harming female compared with 4.1 incidents per self-harming male. The proportion of incidents that required hospital attendance was higher in male establishments (6.1%, compared to 1.8% in female establishments in the latest year).

Figure 3: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners by gender of establishment, 12 months ending June 2012 to 12 months ending June 2022

The number of self-harm incidents were almost unchanged (0.2% increase) in the latest year in male establishments and increased by 1% in the female estate. The rate of incidents, which takes population size into account, decreased 1% in the male estate, but remained unchanged in female establishments.

On a quarterly basis, the number of incidents in the three months to June 2022 increased by 3% in male establishments and 17% in female establishments compared with the previous three 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 more prolific self-harming 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, with the peak in the 3rd quarter of 2020 following a period of increased regime restrictions in response to Covid.

There continue to be considerable differences in self-harm trends by gender. In the 12 months to June 2022, there were 11.5 incidents of self-harm per self-harming female, an increase from 10.1 in the previous 12 months. The proportion of females self-harming in the latest 12 months was 12% lower than in the previous 12 months, at 332 individuals per 1,000 prisoners. In the male estate, there were 4.1 incidents per self-harming individual, broadly similar to 4.0 in the previous 12 months. Over the same period, the proportion of prisoners self-harming in male establishments decreased by 4%, to 131 individuals per 1,000 prisoners.

Self-harm incidents requiring hospital attendance increased in male establishments by 4%, to 2,472 in the 12 months to June 2022, and the proportion of incidents requiring hospital attendance increased from 5.8% in the previous 12 months to 6.1% in the latest 12 months. In the female estate 220 self-harm incidents required hospital attendance, a 36% decrease from the previous year. The proportion of incidents in the female estate requiring hospital attendance was 1.8% in the 12 months to June 2022, down from a peak of 2.8% in the previous 12 months, and the lowest percentage since the 12 months to June 2014.

Assaults: 12 months to June 2022

Assaults and serious assaults increased from the previous 12-month period.	In the 12 months to June 2022, there were 20,551 assault incidents, a 12% increase from the previous 12 months. Of these 2,225 were serious assaults, up 16%. Rates of assault and serious assault per 1,000 prisoners increased 11% and 15% respectively in the latest 12 months. Assaults increased 13% in the latest quarter to 5,319 incidents while the number of serious assaults increased by 21% to 625 incidents.
The rate of assault per 1,000 prisoners was higher in female than male establishments.	The rate of assault in male establishments increased by 10% from the previous 12 months, while the rate in female establishments increased by 30%. Assault rates for the 12 months to June 2022 were higher in female establishments (390 incidents per 1,000 prisoners) than in male establishments (254 incidents per 1,000 prisoners).
Assaults on staff increased from the previous 12-month period.	There were 7,459 assaults on staff in the 12 months to June 2022, up 4% from the previous 12 months. In the latest quarter the number of assaults on staff increased by 4% to 1,780 incidents. The rate of assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners increased by 3%, comprising increases of 1% in male establishments and 19% in female establishments compared with the previous 12 months.

Statistics for the 12 months to March 2022 relate to the second 12-month period since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the restricted regimes prisons put in place in order to safely manage the risks of infection during the pandemic. We have also seen an exit from the National Framework in May 2022 (see Further Information at the end of this bulletin). This affects the comparability of the statistics with earlier periods.

Figure 4: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of total assaults by gender of establishment, 12 months ending June 2012 to 12 months ending June 2022, with quarterly rates

In the 12 months to June 2022, assault incidents increased by 12% to 20,551 (a rate of 260 incidents per 1,000 prisoners). The rate of assaults in the latest 12 months was 11% higher than in the previous 12 months.

In the latest quarter there were 5,319 assaults, up 13% from the previous quarter. The number of assaults and the quarterly rate remain lower than their peak in the July to September 2018 quarter. This reflects that quarterly numbers and rates of assaults were already falling before the outbreak of the Covid-19 as well as the considerable decrease in the early stages of the pandemic (April to June 2020) associated with changes in prison regimes and activity in the criminal justice system.

The number of incidents in male establishments increased by 11% from 17,325 to 19,298 in the 12 months to June 2022 (a rate of 254 per 1,000 prisoners). The rate of assaults in male establishments in the latest 12 months was 10% higher than in the previous 12 months.

The number of incidents in female establishments increased by 31% from 958 to 1,253 incidents in the 12 months to June 2022 (a rate of 390 per 1,000 prisoners). The rate of assaults in female establishments in the latest 12 months was 30% higher than in the previous 12 months.

Assault rates have been higher in female establishments than in male establishments since the 12 months to June 2018, with the difference extending each year, after previously being higher in male establishments.

In the latest quarter, the number of assaults in male establishments increased 14% from 4,385 to 5,012, while the number of assaults in female establishments increased 2% from 302 to 307.

Figure 5: Quarterly 12-month rolling rate of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and assaults on staff, 12 months ending June 2012 to 12 months ending June 2022, with quarterly rates

There were 13,371 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults^{[footnote 7]} in the 12 months to June 2022 (a rate of 169 per 1,000 prisoners), an increase of 18% from the 11,372 assaults in the previous 12 months. The rate of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults in the latest 12 months was 16% higher than in the previous 12 months. In the latest quarter, there were 3,612 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, a 19% increase from 3,023 in the previous quarter.

There were 7,459 assaults on staff^{[footnote 8]} in the 12 months to June 2022 (a rate of 94 per 1,000 prisoners), an increase of 4% from the 7,173 assaults in the previous 12 months. The rate of assaults on staff in the latest 12 months was 3% higher than in the previous 12 months. In the latest quarter, there were 1,780 assaults on staff, a 4% increase from 1,719 incidents in the previous quarter.

The proportion of assaults on staff decreased to 36% of all incidents in the 12 months to June 2022, from 39% in the previous 12 months, having steadily increased prior to that from 20% in the 12 months to June 2012.

In male establishments, prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased by 17% to 12,759 incidents (168 incidents per 1,000 male prisoners) and assaults on staff increased 3% to 6,812 incidents (90 incidents per 1,000 male prisoners) in the 12 months to June 2022, with the rates increasing 15% and 1% respectivelty.

In female establishments, prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased by 43% to 612 incidents (with the rate also increasing by 41% to 190 incidents per 1,000 female prisoners) and assaults on staff increased 20% to 647 incidents (the rate increasing by 19% to 201 incidents per 1,000 female prisoners), compared to the previous 12 months.

In the 12 months to June 2022, the proportion of assaults that were on staff remained higher in female establishments (52%) than in male establishments (35%).

Serious assaults

Of the 20,551 assault incidents, 2,225 (11%) were serious.	In the 12 months to June 2022, there were 2,225 serious assault incidents, a 16% increase from the previous 12 months. The rate of serious assault increased by 15% over the period. Serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased by 21% to 1,545, and serious assaults on staff increased by 8% to 718 in the 12 months to June 2022.

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 2012 to 12 months ending June 2022

In the latest 12 months, 11% of assaults were serious assaults. The proportion of all assaults that were serious was higher in male establishments (11%) than in female establishments (6%).

In the 12 months to June 2022, there were 2,225 serious assaults (a rate of 28 per 1,000 prisoners), a 16% increase from the previous 12 months. The rate of serious assaults in the latest 12 months was 15% higher than in the previous 12 months. In the latest quarter, there were 625 serious assaults, a 21% increase from the previous quarter.

There were 1,545 serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults (a rate of 20 per 1,000 prisoners) in the 12 months to June 2022, a 21% increase from the previous 12 months. The rate of serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults in the latest 12 months was 19% higher than in the previous 12 months. In the latest quarter, there were 457 serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, a 28% increase from 357 incidents in the previous quarter.

There were 718 serious assaults on staff (a rate of 9 per 1,000 prisoners) in the 12 months to June 2022, an 8% increase from the previous 12 months. The rate of serious assaults on staff in the latest 12 months was 6% higher than in the previous 12 months. In the latest quarter, the number of serious prisoner-on-staff assaults increased by 10% to 184 incidents.

Further information

Covid-19

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been keen public and Parliamentary interest in how the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) are managing the running of prisons and the probation system to limit the spread of the virus while maintaining the core functions of these vital parts of the justice system. The core tenets of HMPPS’s prison strategy, building on Public Health England (PHE) and Public Health Wales (PHW) advice and learning developed in managing an early outbreak of the virus, included the implementation of effective isolation, reverse cohorting of new entrants to custody, and shielding of vulnerable prisoners. During this period, we have seen progression of establishments to different levels of the National Framework for managing Covid with most establishments reaching Stage 2 or 1 before the Omicron outbreak in December 2021. We have also seen an exiting of the framework in May 2022 and a move to Living with Covid: Living with Covid-19: prisons and youth custody settings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The latest Covid-19 figures are published monthly on the MOJ website via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics-monthly

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.

National Statistics status

National Statistics status means that official statistics 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.

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.

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.

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.

Contact

Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office: Tel: 020 3334 3536 Email: newsdesk@justice.gsi.gov.uk

Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to:

Jon Mitchell

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

Email: statistics.enquiries@justice.gsi.gov.uk

Next update: January 2023 URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/safety-in-custody-statistics

&copy Crown copyright Produced by the Ministry of Justice. Alternative formats are available on request from statistics.enquiries@justice.gsi.gov.uk

1. Data on population statistics are published in the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly. ↩

2. 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. ↩

3. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly. Quarterly population data to March 2022 is published in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin, England and Wales Quarterly. ↩

4. 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. ↩

5. Data on deaths are published three months ahead of assaults and self-harm, therefore, the annual publication Deaths in prison custody for 1978 to 2021 is published in the Safety in Custody quarterly update to September 2021. ↩

6. Data on the number of COVID-19 deaths are occasionally revised due to updated coroners data. ↩

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

8. 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 ↩