Hundreds of prisoners self-harmed in Black Country and Staffordshire last year
Hundreds of self-harm incidents among inmates have been recorded at prisons in the Black Country and Staffordshire, new figures reveal.
With cases of self-harm hitting a record high across England and Wales, the Prison Reform Trust says a failure to deal with prisoners' mental health problems is being “paid for in human misery and distress”.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data shows at Oakwood Prison, in Featherstone, near Wolverhampton, there were 1,099 self-harm incidents recorded in the 12 months to September 2019 – the highest figure for the prison since comparable records began in 2005. At least 80 of the incidents, saw an inmate require hospital treatment.
Oakwood Prison, which is managed by G4S, has the highest population of any prison in the country, averaging more than 2,000.
HM Prison Featherstone saw 309 self-harm incidents reported – also the highest figure since comparable records began. Of those last year, 45 required hospital treatment.
While at Brinsford, an adult male category B and C prison and young offenders institution, also in Featherstone, there were 525 self-harm incidents reported in the year up to September 2019 – with 12 requiring hospital treatment.
At women's closed prison, HM Prison Drake Hall, near Eccleshall, there were 337 self-harm incidents. At least 11 required hospital treatment.
The data shows there were 107 self-harm incidents at HMP Stafford in the same 12 months – with at least nine required hospital treatment.
But across prisons in England and Wales, self-harm incidents hit a record high of 61,500 over the same period. Overall, 12,740 prisoners were recorded self-harming, also a record high.
Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the MoJ figures revealed a “hidden crisis” of ever-rising levels of prisoner self-harm.
He said: "A failure to ensure decent and humane conditions, as well as respond effectively to the large proportion of people in prison with serious mental health problems, is being paid for in human misery and distress.
"The Government needs a plan to restore purpose and hope to our prisons. Sending more people to prison longer will make matters worse."
Juliet Lyon, chairman of the Independent Panel on Deaths in Custody, said the Government had a "duty to take active steps to protect life".
She added: "Action must be taken now to improve mental healthcare before lives begin to fall apart."
The MoJ data also showed 300 people died in prison custody in England and Wales in 2019 – an eight per cent drop from the previous year. Of those, 84 were self-inflicted, down from 92 a year earlier.
Prisons Minister Lucy Frazer said: "While self-harm remains a major cause for concern, I want to thank our hardworking prison staff for their efforts in reducing violence on the wings.
"We know there is much more to do, which is why the Government is investing £2.75 billion to make our jails safer - creating 10,000 additional places and stepping up security to cut crime behind bars."
