18 April 2008
Incidents of self-harm by prisoners have risen by almost 40% in the past five years, according to figures from the Howard League for Penal Reform.
In 2003, there were 16,393 incidents; last year, the figure rocketed to 22,459. Among women prisoners, incidents rose by 48% between 2003 and 2007.
Howard League director Frances Crook attributed the rise in self-harm to the 'over-use' of prisons and the resultant overcrowding.
She said: 'I cannot stress enough that the level of distress inside prisons is so great and we cannot get these people transferred to mental health facilities.
'Rotting in the chaos and squalor of overcrowded prisons simply serves to exacerbate problems and will most likely lead to more serious and frequent reoffending.'
But the Ministry of Justice, while conceding that the figures were 'significant', attributed the rise to more accurate reporting.of incidents.
An MoJ spokesperson said: 'One per cent of prisoners are responsible for 25% of all self-harm incidents in the prison estate. The transfer or release of a number of prolific self-harmers can skew the figures enormously.'
PFapr2008
