There has been a rise in violent assaults at a Wiltshire prison amidst a “shameful” fall in safety.
New figures show inmates in Erlestoke Prison, near Devizes, committed almost 150 assaults in the year through to March 2024, an increase from 98 in the previous 12 months.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed there were 144 reported assaults at the prison, including 36 assaults on staff and 108 on other prisoners.
The Prison Reform Trust said the figures are a "shameful reflection of just how far safety in our prisons has fallen" and urged the government "to restore safety and stability to our jails".
This comes amidst a national surge of violent incidents.
A post-pandemic peak of 28,292 assaults were recorded last year, rising by 27 per cent.
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Andrea Coomber, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, believes the UK’s prisons are witnessing a “crisis of human misery”.
She said: "Much of the focus of policy has been on the crisis of prison capacity, with the number of available cells at the foremost of people's minds.
"These figures remind us that there is a crisis of human misery behind bars too.
"Exposing people to environments of rising violence and mental distress will do nothing to turn their lives around and away from crime".
Out of England and Wales’s 119 adult prisons 35, including Erlestoke, were rated of “concern.”
Self-harm rates have also hit their highest level since records began, with 73,804 incidents taking place in the 12-month period, according to the Ministry of Justice.
In Erlestoke this number grew from 224 to 453 in the year through to March.
Prison Reform Trust's chief executive Pia Sinha said: "In the last year alone, we have seen more self-harming, by more people, more often; and further rises in assaults between prisoners, and on staff.
"When prisons are this overcrowded, and staff this overstretched, they become completely ill-equipped to deal with the scale of trauma and despair amongst the people in their care."
However, she acknowledged the government has "recognised the importance of reducing overcrowding", which "will buy some breathing space".
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood insists the government is working to tackle the crisis.
She said: "Our prisons are in crisis, leading to endemic violence and harm behind bars.
"These statistics reveal what is really happening inside jails today, and why we had no choice but to act.
"This government will always protect the public, lock up dangerous offenders, and make prisons safe for prisoners and the brave staff who work there."
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