Nearly one in five adult prisons in England and Wales have had serious concerns raised about their performance, marking the highest number since the current inspection system began. The alarming statistics reveal a prison system under unprecedented strain.
Some 22 jails - 18.5% of the total - were given the lowest possible ranking in the year to March, up from 15 in the previous 12 months. A further 37 prisons were assessed as being of concern, up from 35.
Record numbers facing crisis
These are the highest number of jails to be placed in these categories since the present system of ranking was introduced in 2017/18. The statistics, released by the Ministry of Justice, note the rise "may be a reflection of the pressures facing the prison estate", as ministers continue to grapple with overcrowding, violence and drugs in jails.
Overall, 59 prisons were rated as either being of concern or serious concern, making up nearly half (49.6%) of all adult institutions, up from 50 prisons (42.0%) in the previous year. Just 12 prisons were rated outstanding in the latest round of inspections, down from 13 in 2023/24 and the lowest number since the current ratings began.
Outstanding prisons hit historic low
The total for best-performing jails peaked at 19 in 2019/2020, highlighting the dramatic decline in prison standards over recent years. Earlier this month, chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor placed HMP Pentonville into special measures over its "chaotic" conditions.
The north London jail was the 10th to be served an urgent notification since November 2022, according to the watchdog. Separate figures published on Thursday show assaults on prison staff in adult prisons in England and Wales have reached another annual record high, with 10,568 in 2024/25.
Violence reaches new heights
This is up 7% from 9,847 in 2023/24 and a jump of 42% from 7,471 in 2022/23. On Monday, a trial of Tasers in prisons used by specialist officers began as part of efforts to curb the levels of violence against prison officers.
It follows high-profile security incidents earlier this year, after four prison officers were allegedly attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in April. Southport killer Axel Rudakubana also allegedly attacked a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh in May by pouring boiling water over them.
Mental health crisis deepens
Last month, the Independent Monitoring Board's annual report on prisons warned violence remained "excessively high", which was driven by overcrowding, inadequate mental health support and a surge in drug use. Latest figures also show self-harm incidents hit another record level, with 77,898 incidents across all adult prisons in the year to March - a 6% rise from 73,804 the previous year.
Some 12,661 men were reported to have self harmed in the 12-month period, the highest number since current records began five years ago. The number of women who self harmed was 1,163, down slightly from 1,199 in the previous 12-month period.
System under devastating strain
Director of charity Inquest, Deborah Coles, said: "These figures are yet another devastating indictment of the appalling state of the prison system, and the destructive social harms prison regimes generate for people inside." Ministers have vowed to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031 and have accepted recommendations from the independent sentencing review to curb overcrowding in prisons in the long term.
The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
