Safety in Custody Statistics Quarterly Update to September  2012
Source: data.gov.uk (2018-05-25)

Safety in Custody. Data on assaults, self-harm and assaults in prisons in England and Wales. Headline figures produced quarterly with more detailed figures produced annually in April.

Safety in Custody Statistics 
Quarterly Update to September 
2012  
 
England and Wales 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ministry of Justice  
Statistics bulletin 
 

 
Contents 
 
 
 
Introduction .........................................................................................................................- 3 - 
 
Key findings ........................................................................................................................- 6 - 
 
Deaths in custody ...............................................................................................................- 9 - 
 
Self-harm ..........................................................................................................................- 14 - 
 
Assaults ............................................................................................................................- 17 - 
 
References........................................................................................................................- 19 - 
 
List of tables and figures...................................................................................................- 20 - 
 
Data Sources and Data Quality ........................................................................................- 22 - 
 
Explanatory notes .............................................................................................................- 22 - 
 
Contact points...................................................................................................................- 23 - 
 
 
 
 
- 2 -

 
Introduction 
 
Safety in custody statistics cover deaths, self-harm and assaults in prison custody. This 
publication contains statistics relating to these incidents up to the period ending September 
2012 in England and Wales. This bulletin is accompanied by summary tables and more 
detailed breakdowns which can be found at http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-
probation/safety-in-custody. 
 
The statistics contained within this bulletin are Official Statistics and are produced in 
accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics by the National Offender 
Management Service (NOMS) and Ministry of Justice.  
 
In interpreting the statistics contained within this bulletin, users are recommended to read 
with it the accompanying ‘Guide to Safety in Custody Statistics1’ that includes technical and 
background information on the production of these statistics, and more information on data 
quality.  
 
When considering particular statistics, readers should note the following:  
 
 
 
Risk of death, self-harm or assaults is distributed unevenly around the prison estate. 
Age, gender and time in custody, and random variation, explain many of the 
differences between prisons and particular risk groups.  
 
 
In prisons, as in the community, self-harm is often covert and assaults may go 
unreported. In prison custody, however, such incidents are more likely to be detected 
and counted. Recording of self-harm and assault incidents in prison custody has 
improved over the years but it remains the case that they cannot be counted with 
absolute accuracy.  
 
Although this publication concerns statistics, the incidents described in this report are, by 
their nature, tragic and distressing to the prisoners, their families and staff. NOMS remains 
committed to reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths, caring for prisoners at risk of self-
harm, reducing violence in prison custody and learning from such incidents.  
 
From time to time, events in prison custody and developments within and outside NOMS 
have changed the way safety in prisons is viewed and managed. Some have resulted in 
changes to the way offenders are managed. Others have affected the way statistics are 
collected and reported. The accompanying guide includes a timeline summarising some of 
the key events and developments that have affected safety in prison custody and supporting 
statistics. These help with interpretation of longer term trends.  
 
Changes and revisions in this publication 
All summary tables showing 12 month totals have been moved forward to cover the 12 
months to end September. Within the assaults section of this bulletin the labelling of the 
gender category has been changed to reflect the fact that the statistics report whether the 
assault occurred in a male or female establishment rather than a definitive statement of the 
gender of those involved in the assault. Whilst assaults in a male prison will predominantly 
involve males on males, in a small number of cases assaults – mostly on staff – can involve 
a female and vice versa in a female prison. This is a change in labelling only and not a 
                                                 
1 Guide to Safety in Custody Statistics www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-
custody 
 
 
- 3 -

 
change in what statistics are published. There is no change to the underlying methodology of 
collating assault statistics. 
 
In Table 2 in the accompanying summary spreadsheet, there are some minor revisions to 
quarterly death statistics; three deaths have been reclassified from “other” to “Natural 
Cause” deaths following receipt of further information.  
 
Users and uses of these Statistics 
The cost of deaths, self-harm and assaults in prison custody, in both human and financial 
terms is high. This report adds to the body of learning in this area and supports work to 
prevent such tragedies in future. The contents support a wide range of operational and 
strategic decisions including:  
 
 
Management of risk;  
 
Deployment of staff (identification of high risk periods and locations etc.); 
 
Design of prison cells (identification and reduction of ligature points); 
 
Assessment of changes in sentencing and other policies affecting prisoners.  
 
The statistics included in this publication are used extensively and meet a broad spectrum of 
user needs as shown below. 
 
User 
Summary of main statistical needs 
MOJ Ministers 
Use the statistics to monitor the safety and wellbeing of the prison 
population; assess policy impacts (e.g. changes to managing 
vulnerable prisoners) 
MPs and House of 
Lords 
Statistics are used to answer parliamentary questions – 
approximately 100 are answered each year 
Policy teams 
Statistics are used to inform policy development, to monitor 
impact of changes over time and to model future changes and 
their impact on the system 
Agencies responsible 
for offender 
management 
 
Current and historical robust administrative data are used to 
support performance management information at national and 
local levels to complement their understanding of the current 
picture and trends over time 
Academia, students 
and businesses 
Used as a source of statistics for research purposes and to 
support lectures, presentations and conferences 
Journalists 
Used as a compendium of robust data on safety in custody so that 
an accurate and coherent story can be told on the safety of the 
prison environment. 
Voluntary sector 
Data are used to monitor trends of the safety and wellbeing of 
prisoners, to reuse the data in their own briefing and research 
papers and to inform policy work and responses to consultations. 
General public 
Data are used to respond to ad-hoc requests and requests made 
under the Freedom of Information Act.  Recent requests include 
number of deaths, self-harm and assaults in prisons. 
 
NOMS regularly receives requests for statistics for more recent, or different, date periods 
than those covered in published statistics. In accordance with the Code of Practice for 
Official Statistics, NOMS is generally unable to release statistics for periods beyond those 
published in Official Statistics publications. 
 
 
- 4 -

 
Related publications 
This bulletin is published alongside two inter-related bulletins:  
 
Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin2: This provides key statistics relating 
to offenders who are in prison or under Probation Service supervision. It covers flows into 
these services (receptions into prison or probation starts) and flows out (discharges from 
prison or probation terminations) as well as the caseload of both services at specific points in 
time. 
 
Proven Re-offending Statistics Quarterly3: This provides proven re-offending figures for 
offenders who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, 
received a caution, reprimand, warning or tested positive for opiates or cocaine in the 12 
months ending September 2010.  
 
Taken together, these publications present users with a more coherent overview of offender 
management, re-offending among both adults and young people and the safety of offenders 
whilst in prison custody. 
 
Release Schedule 
This bulletin was published on 31 January 2013 and includes statistics for 12 month periods 
ending September in each year since 2004. Statistics over these periods have not been 
released previously.  
 
The next publication of Safety in Custody statistics is scheduled to be published on 25 April 
2013 and will cover 12 month periods to end of December 2012. All statistics remain 
provisional and will be reviewed in the next publication. The next publication will also update 
the annual tables with statistics at an establishment level to include 2012.  
                                                 
2 Offender Management Statistics www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/oms-quarterly 
 
3 Proven Reoffending Statistics www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/reoffending/proven-re-offending 
 
 
- 5 -

 
Key findings 
 
Table 1: Safety in Custody Summary Statistics, England and Wales 
 
-Sep 03 -Sep 04 -Sep 05 -Sep 06 -Sep 07 -Sep 08 -Sep 09 -Sep 10 -Sep 11 -Sep 12
Total deaths
174
215
175
156
182
165
166
193
198
194
Self-inflicted
94
103
84
61
87
70
61
60
58
Natural Causes
77
101
84
90
90
89
102
123
125
126
Homicide
1
1
3
1
2
3
0
1
1
1
Other
56
1
2
10
4
4
3
3
3
9
14
Self-harm incidents2
-
-
23,508
23,448
23,228
24,119
24,471
26,721
25,166
23,134
Males
-
-
10,277
11,534
12,004
11,924
13,224
14,314
15,480
16,138
Females
-
-
13,231
11,914
11,224
12,195
11,247
12,407
9,686
6,996
Assault incidents
11,855
12,213
14,004
14,926
15,298
15,896
15,363
14,508
15,088
14,803
Males
11,088
11,355
13,020
13,719
14,283
14,949
14,594
13,848
14,416
14,214
Females
767
858
984
1,207
1,015
947
769
660
672
589
12 months ending
2. A new system for monitoring self-harm was introduced in December 2002.  As a result, recording of self-harm 
improved throughout 2003.  12 month periods that include parts of 2003 and earlier years are therefore under-reported 
by modern standards and have been omitted from this table.
1. ‘Other’ deaths include accidental and other difficult to classify deaths including those for which further information is 
awaited.  A minority of the most recent two years figures are expected to be reclassified as natural causes. 
11
 
 
Deaths 
 
For the 12 months ending September 2012 (see tables 1 and 2), there were: 
 
 
194 deaths in prison custody, compared with 198 in the previous 12 month period - a 
fall of two per cent; 
 
56 self-inflicted deaths, compared with 58 in the previous 12 months - a fall of three 
per cent;  
 
11 ‘other’ deaths (six per cent of all deaths) - compared with 14 in the previous 12 
months. 
 
Annual numbers of deaths are volatile and rises or falls from one year to the next are not a 
good indicator of underlying trend.  
 
 
The mortality rate was 2.2 deaths per 1,000 prisoners down from 2.3 per 1,000 
prisoners for the previous 12 months;  
 
Self-inflicted death rates have fallen from 1.4 deaths per 1,000 prisoners in the 12 
months ending September 2004 to 0.6 deaths per 1,000 in the 12 months ending 
September 2012.  
 
 
- 6 -

 
Self-harm 
 
For the 12 months ending September 2012 (see table 1 and 3), there were: 
 
 
23,134 self-harm incidents, compared with 25,166 incidents in the previous 12 
months – a fall of eight per cent; 
 
6,956 individuals who self-harmed, compared with 6,868 individuals in the previous 
12 months – a rise of one per cent; 
 
The rate of female individuals who self-harmed fell by over 10 per cent from 313 
individuals per 1,000 prisoners to 278 individuals per 1,000 prisoners in the 12 
months ending September 2012. 
 
Trends for male and female self-harm are best considered separately:  
 
 
 
Male self-harm rates have increased over the last five 12 month periods ending 
September, from 153 self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners in 2008 to 195 per 
1,000 prisoners in 2012; 
 
In contrast, female self-harm rates have fallen over the same period, particularly over 
the last three years, from 2,746 incidents per 1,000 prisoners in 2008 to 1,678 
incidents per 1,000 prisoners in 2012. 
 
Annual figures shows that a number of factors have contributed to the change:  
 
 
 
Changes in the relative numbers of repetitive self-harmers: Numbers of female 
prisoners self-harming more than 20 times during a year fell from 126 in 2010 to 84 
in 2011 compared with an increase for males from 53 to 69 over the same period;  
 
Changes in the average number of times each individual self-harms: Average 
number of incidents per female self-harmer fell from 10.1 in 2010 to 7.1 in 2011 
compared with males which increased from 2.7 to 2.8 over the same period;  
 
A reduction in the number of female prisoners, who now form a smaller proportion of 
the overall prison population: 6.1 per cent in 2002 down to 4.9 per cent in 2011.  
 
 
Assaults 
 
In the 12 months ending September 2012 (Tables 1 and 4) there were: 
 
 
14,803 assault incidents, compared with 15,088 in the previous 12 months – a fall of 
two per cent;  
 
170 assaults per 1,000 prisoners, compared with 177 in the previous 12 months – a 
fall of four per cent; 
 
2,992 assaults on staff (20 per cent of all assault incidents) compared with 3,053 in 
the previous 12 months – a fall of two per cent;  
 
34 assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners, compared with 36 in the previous 12 
months – a fall of six per cent; 
 
252 serious assault incidents involving an assault on staff, compared with 281 in the 
previous 12 months. 
 
Overall assault rates are dominated by what happens in the male prison estate which 
accounts for some 95 per cent of the prison population.  
 
 
Overall assault rates since 2003 have ranged between 163 and 195 per 1,000 
prisoners;  
 
- 7 -

 
 
Until 2009, assault rates in the female prison estate tended to be higher than in the 
male prison estate. Rates in the female prison estate have been lower for the last 
four 12 month periods. 
 
 
Population factors 
 
Underlying changes in the prison population4 continue to affect the distribution of safety in 
custody risk.  
 
 
The prison population has been ageing – the mean age of prisoners increased from 
32.6 years in 2002 to 34.0 in 2011; 
 
There are now proportionally fewer female prisoners – 6.1 per cent in 2002 down to 
4.9 per cent in 2011. 
 
 
 
                                                 
4 Offender Management Statistics www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/oms-quarterly 
 
 
- 8 -

 
Deaths in custody  
 
A death in prison custody is defined as ‘any death of a person in prison custody arising from 
an incident in or, on rare occasions, immediately prior to prison custody’.  
 
All deaths in prison custody are subject to a police investigation and a coroner’s inquest. 
Once the inquest has been concluded, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s office 
publish a detailed ‘Fatal Incident Report’5 on the death. Until this time, for administrative and 
statistical purposes NOMS classify deaths by apparent cause of death.  
 
Annual statistics6 show that the key population factors in determining risk of death in custody 
are: 
 
 
Age: Older prisoners are more likely to die of natural causes. Self-inflicted death risk 
varies with age peaking amongst prisoners in their 30s; 
 
Time in custody: Self-inflicted deaths are more likely in the early stages of custody; 
 
Gender: Female prisoners are less likely to die in custody. 
 
Table 2: Deaths in Custody Summary Statistics, England and Wales 
-Sep 03
-Sep 04
-Sep 05
-Sep 06
-Sep 07
-Sep 08
-Sep 09
-Sep 10
-Sep 11
-Sep 12
DEATHS
Deaths in prison custody1
174
215
175
156
182
165
166
193
198
194
Self-inflicted
94
103
84
61
87
70
61
60
58
56
Natural Causes
77
101
84
90
90
89
102
123
125
126
Homicide
1
1
3
1
2
3
0
1
1
1
Other2
2
10
4
4
3
3
3
9
14
of which
Other/Non-natura
11
l
2
10
4
4
3
3
3
6
4
0
Awaiting further information
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10
Deaths per 1,000 prisoners
2.4
2.9
2.3
2.0
2.3
2.0
2.0
2.3
2.3
2.2
Self-inflicted
1.3
1.4
1.1
0.8
1.1
0.9
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.6
Natural Causes
1.1
1.4
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.2
1.5
1.5
1.4
1. All classifications of deaths remain provisional until confirmed at inquest.
2. A minority of the most recent two years figures for 'other' deaths are expected to be re-classified as natural causes
12 months ending
11
 
 
Overall mortality 
 
For the 12 months ending September 2012 (see table 2), there were: 
 
 
194 deaths in prison custody, compared with 198 in the previous 12 month period – 
a fall of two per cent;  
 
56 self-inflicted deaths – the lowest in any 12 month period to September over the 
last 10 years. 
 
126 Natural cause deaths – the highest in any 12 month period to September over 
the last 10 years. 
 
2.2 deaths per 1,000 prisoners. 
  
Caution should be taken when interpreting increases and decreases in numbers between 
years. Statistics on deaths in prison custody are largely driven by the composition and size 
                                                 
5 Prisons and Probation Ombudsman: Fatal Incident Reports www.ppo.gov.uk/prison-investigations.html 
 
6 Deaths in Custody: www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/prison-probation/safety-custody/safety-in-custody-
deaths-jun-12.xls 
 
 
- 9 -

 
of the prison population. For example, in recent years the prison population has increased 
with an increasing male to female prisoner ratio. The increase in the number of natural 
cause deaths has coincided with an increase in the mean age of the prison population, 
which rose from 32.6 years in 2002 to 34.0 in 20117. 
 
 
Figure 1: Deaths per 1,000 prisoners by apparent cause, England and Wales 
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
-Sep 03 -Sep 04 -Sep 05 -Sep 06 -Sep 07 -Sep 08 -Sep 09 -Sep 10 -Sep 11 -Sep 12
Number of deaths per 1,000 prisoners
Total deaths
Self-inflicted
Natural causes
Other
 
 
Self-inflicted deaths 
 
Self-inflicted deaths include any death of a person who has apparently taken his or her own 
life irrespective of intent. 
 
For the 12 months ending September 2012, there were: 
 
 
56 self-inflicted deaths, compared with 58 over the previous 12 months and the 
lowest level in any 12 month period to end of September over the last 10 years; 
 
0.6 deaths per 1,000 prisoners, compared with 0.7 deaths per 1,000 prisoners in the 
preceding 12 months. 
 
The number of self-inflicted deaths and corresponding rates have been declining for some 
years and although, at 56, the most recent figures are at their lowest for at least 10 years, 
the underlying rates have only shown slight changes in recent years. After relatively large 
decreases in the rate of self-inflicted deaths per 1,000 prisoners between 2005 and 2008, 
the last 3 years have seen negligible falls in the death rate. 
 
 
Self-inflicted death rates have fallen from 1.4 deaths per 1,000 prisoners in the 12 
months ending September 2004 to 0.6 deaths per 1,000 in the 12 months ending 
September 2012. 
 
                                                 
7 Offender Management Statistics www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/oms-quarterly 
 
- 10 -

 
The increase in ‘other’ deaths from 2010 and the decrease in self-inflicted deaths are 
unconnected. Classifications of deaths have always involved an element of uncertainty and 
although it is possible that a small proportion of ‘other’ deaths may be self-inflicted, the effect 
is not sufficient to adversely affect interpretation of trends.  
 
Suicide prevention policies have specifically targeted the early stages of custody. There 
have now been no self-inflicted deaths on the day of arrival in prison8 since 2008. The 
numbers on the first and second full days also remain low, averaging less than one per 
quarter.  
 
From 1989 to 2003, self-inflicted deaths were consistently higher than those due to natural 
causes9. Up to the 1980s, natural causes routinely accounted for the majority of deaths in 
prison custody. In the late 1980s, self-inflicted deaths started to increase. ‘Care in the 
community’ is sometimes cited10 as a reason for the increase as it is believed to have led to 
an increase in the proportions of prisoners with mental illness. The proportions of mentally ill 
in the prison population are not measured routinely so the actual change over time is 
unknown. The increase in numbers of self-inflicted deaths from the late 1980s is likely to be 
due to a combination of factors because it started before the impact of the 1989 White Paper 
‘Caring for People: Community Care in the next Decade and Beyond’ could have taken full 
effect.  
 
 
Natural cause deaths 
 
Natural cause deaths include any death of a person as a result of a naturally occurring 
disease process.  
 
For the 12 months ending September 2012, there were: 
 
 
126 natural cause deaths, compared with 125 in the previous 12 months – the 
highest number of natural cause deaths in any 12 month period over the last 10 
years;  
 
1.4 deaths per 1,000 prisoners.  
 
Natural cause rates have increased by around a half over the last ten years but like self-
inflicted deaths the rate of natural cause deaths is largely unchanged over the last three 12 
month periods to end of September. Although the table shows a change of 0.1 deaths per 
1,000 prisoners over this period this is mostly due to rounding.  
 
A minority of the most recent deaths currently classified as ‘other’ in this report are likely to 
be classified as natural causes once more information becomes available. As a result, 
figures for the most recent two years are likely to be under-reported compared with earlier 
figures. If, for example, five of the fifteen deaths are eventually reclassified as natural 
causes, then the numbers and rates in this report would be under-reported by some four per 
cent. The uncertainty on these figures will not be entirely removed until after inquest  
 
Homicides 
 
                                                 
8 Safety in Custody Deaths: Table 1.7 www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody 
9 Safety in Custody: Deaths Table 1.2  
10 Mental Health of Prisoners (HM Inspectorate of Prisons 2007) 
www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmipris/thematic-reports-and-research-
publications/mental_health-rps.pdf 
 
 
- 11 -

 
Homicides include any death of a person at the hands of another. This includes murder and 
manslaughter cases. 
 
In the 12 months ending September 2012, there was one homicide, the same as the 
previous 12 months. Annual numbers have varied between zero and three over the last 10 
years. 
 
Homicides are relatively rare accounting for less than one per cent of all deaths in prison 
custody. There were 14 in the 10 years from 2002 to 2011: an average of 1.4 per year. For 
the previous 10 years ending 2001 there were 22; an average of 2.2 per year. 11 
 
 
Other deaths 
 
‘Other’ deaths include any death of a person whose death cannot easily be classified as 
natural causes, self-inflicted or homicide. The category includes accidents and cases where 
the cause of death is unknown even after all of the investigations have been concluded.  
 
For the 12 months ending September 2012: 
 
 
there were 14 ‘other’ deaths (six per cent of all deaths) - a fall of three deaths 
compared with the previous 12 months; 
 
a minority of deaths in this category are likely to be natural cause deaths but this will 
not be confirmed until inquests have been concluded.  
 
The numbers in this category have increased in recent years due to a number of cases that 
have proved difficult to classify.  
 
 
In July 2011, we reported that there were eight ‘unclassified’ deaths in 2010. At the 
time this report was being prepared, five remained. Of the three that were 
provisionally classified, two were ‘other/non-natural’ and one was ‘natural causes’ 
 
In July 2012 we reported that there were twelve ‘unclassified’ deaths in 2011 of 
which ten remain. Of the two that were provisionally classified both were classified 
as natural causes.  
 
The majority of deaths for which information is awaited beyond three months are expected to 
be classified as either ‘other/non-natural’ or natural causes.  
 
Some of the cases in the aggregated ‘other’ category appear to be drug related but there is 
no reason to believe that any are self-inflicted. However, the uncertainty will not be entirely 
removed until after inquest. 
 
As with homicides, ‘other’ deaths are best considered over long periods.  
 
                                                 
11 Safety in Custody: Deaths Table 1.1 www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody 
 
- 12 -

 
Comparison of deaths in prison with those in the general population 
 
The prison population is very different from the general population: 95 per cent of the prison 
population are male, there are no prisoners aged under 15 and relatively few are over 60. As 
a result, rates of deaths in prison custody cannot be compared directly with those for the 
general population. One technique used for comparing mortality rates for different 
populations is known as the Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR). 
 
Figure 2 is based on annual data and shows the Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR) for the 
prison population and its 95 per cent confidence interval. It compares overall deaths with 
those of the general population of England and Wales taking into account differences in age 
and gender. If the minimum of the SMR confidence level of the SMR is above one, then this 
indicates that the mortality rate of the prison population is significantly higher than that of the 
general population. In seven out of the last ten years, prison mortality has been significantly 
higher than that of the general population.  
 
Figure 2: Annual Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR) for prison population 
 
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Standardised Mortality Ratio
 
This chart is updated annually on a calendar year basis when the underlying data 
become available. 
 
- 13 -

 
Self-harm  
 
Self-harm in prison custody is defined as, “any act where a prisoner deliberately harms 
themselves irrespective of the method, intent or severity of any injury.” Those who self-harm 
often do so covertly. In the community, such self-harm will often go undetected. In prisons, 
such incidents are more likely to be detected and counted. 
 
The key factors determining the risk of self-harm in custody are:  
 
 
Age: Younger prisoners are more likely to self-harm than older prisoners12; 
 
Gender: Female prisoners self-harm more frequently than males; 
 
Time in custody: A disproportionate amount of self-harm occurs in the early stages of 
custody13. 
 
Table 3: Self-harm in Custody Summary Statistics, England and Wales 
-Sep 05 -Sep 06 -Sep 07 -Sep 08 -Sep 09 -Sep 10 -Sep 11 -Sep 12
SELF-HARM
Self-harm incidents
23,508 23,448 23,228 24,119 24,471 26,721 25,166 23,134
Males
10,277 11,534 12,004 11,924 13,224 14,314 15,480 16,138
Females
13,231 11,914 11,224 12,195 11,247 12,407
9,686
6,996
Self-harm individuals1
5,760
6,020
6,352
6,521
6,831
6,958
6,868
6,956
Males
4,290
4,585
4,879
4,990
5,302
5,540
5,558
5,797
Females
1,470
1,435
1,473
1,531
1,529
1,418
1,310
1,159
Self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners
311
303
290
294
294
315
295
266
Males
145
158
159
153
168
178
191
195
Females
2,994
2,670
2,568
2,746
2,621
2,912
2,313
1,678
Self-harm individuals per 1,000 prisoners1
76
78
79
79
82
82
81
80
Males
60
63
64
64
67
69
69
7
Females
333
322
337
345
356
333
313
278
Self-harm incidents per individual
4.1
3.9
3.7
3.7
3.6
3.8
3.7
3.3
Males
2.4
2.5
2.5
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.8
2.8
Females
9.0
8.3
7.6
8.0
7.4
8.7
7.4
6.0
Hospital Attendances
1,186
1,233
1,230
1,337
1,266
1,379
1,497
1,474
Males
950
999
1,049
1,128
1,091
1,214
1,331
1,315
Females
236
234
181
209
175
165
166
159
1. Numbers of individuals should be treated as approximate as the details of prisoners are not always recorded against each 
self-harm incident.
12 months ending
0
                                                 
12 Safety in Custody: Self-harm Table 2.4  
13 Safety in Custody: Self-harm Table 2.5 www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody 
 
- 14 -

 
For the 12 months ending September 2012 (see table 3), there were: 
 
 
23,134 self-harm incidents, compared with 25,166 incidents in the previous 12 
months – a fall of eight per cent; 
 
6,956 individuals who self-harmed, compared with 6,868 individuals in the previous 
12 months – a rise of one per cent; 
 
The rate of female individuals who self-harmed fell by over 10 per cent from 313 
individuals per 1,000 prisoners to 278 individuals per 1,000 prisoners in the 12 
months ending September 2012. 
 
There are contrasting trends between male and female self-harm: 
 
 
Male self-harm rates have increased over the last four 12 month periods ending 
September, from 168 self-harm incidents per 1,000 prisoners in 2009 to 195 per 
1,000 prisoners in 2012; 
 
In contrast, female self-harm rates have fallen over the same period, particularly over 
the last three years, from 2,621 incidents per 1,000 prisoners in 2009 to 1,678 
incidents per 1,000 prisoners in 2012. 
 
The fall in the number of female self-harm incidents is partly driven by slightly fewer females 
in the prison population. However, as the rate of self-harm incidents also falls it shows there 
are other factors that have driven the lower number of self-harm incidents in the female 
prison population. 
 
The decrease in the number and rate of female self-harm incidents between 2009 and 2011 
corresponds with a decrease in the numbers of repetitive female self-harmers. 
 
 
Numbers of female prisoners self-harming more than 20 times during a year fell from 
126 in 2010 to 84 in 2011 compared with an increase for males from 53 to 69 over 
the same period.14  
 
Average number of incidents per female self-harmer fell from 10.1 in 2010 to 7.1 in 
2011 compared with males which increased from 2.7 to 2.8 over the same period;15 
 
Statistics for 2012 are due to be available with the next publication of this bulletin in April 
2013. 
 
Until 2006, the female population accounted for more than half of all self-harm incidents in 
prison custody. That is no longer the case.  For the 12 months ending September 2012 
females accounted for 30 per cent of all self-harm incidents.  The rates of female self-harm 
continue to be much higher than for males but the gap has decreased (see table 2).  Figure 
3 shows that while the rate of male individuals self-harming has remained fairly constant, the 
rate for females has fallen. 
 
                                                 
14 Safety in Custody: Self-harm table 2.12 
15 Safety in Custody: Self-harm table 2.1 
 
- 15 -

 
Figure 3: Self-harming individuals per 1,000 prisoners by gender, England and Wales  
0
100
200
300
400
500
-Sep 05
-Sep 06
-Sep 07
-Sep 08
-Sep 09
-Sep 10
-Sep 11
-Sep 12
Individuals per 1,000 prisoners
Male individuals
Female individuals
 
Improvements in the management of self-harm may have contributed to the fall in female 
self-harm but, given the differences between male and female self-harm, it seems likely that 
the overall health needs of the population have changed.  
 
Although self-harm incidents in prison custody are relatively common, it remains the case 
that the majority of prisoners do not self-harm. Of the prisoners who did self-harm in 2011, 
43 per cent of females and 60 per cent of males did so once, while six per cent of females 
and one per cent of males did so more than 20 times.  
 
Although the proportions of prisoners who self-harm more than 20 times during a year are 
relatively small, they do account for a disproportionate amount of self-harm incidents. Since 
2004, individuals self-harming more than 20 times in the year have accounted for between 
33 per cent and 46 per cent of all self-harm incidents.  
 
The early days or arriving in a prison are the highest risk times for self-harm with the 
incidence reducing over time. In 2011, approximately 23 per cent of self-harm incidents 
occurred within the first month of arriving in a prison. This proportion has been reducing in 
recent years down from 42 per cent in 2004.16 The reduction is, in part, due to the reduction 
in the female population but also prisoners being in custody for longer. 
 
                                                 
16 Safety in Custody Self-harm table 2.15 www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody 
 
- 16 -

 
Assaults  
 
Assaults in prison custody cover a wide range of violent incidents including fights between 
prisoners.  NOMS does not use the Home Office counting rule definitions of Actual Bodily 
Harm (ABH), Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), affray etc. and figures cannot be compared 
directly. 
 
The key population factors determining the risk of involvement in assaults are: 
  
 
Age: Younger prisoners are more likely to assault and be victims than older 
prisoners;17 
 
Time in custody: After the initial induction period, a disproportionate amount of 
assaults occurs in the early stages of custody. 18 
 
Table 4: Assault incidents Summary Statistics, England and Wales 
 
-Sep 03 -Sep 04 -Sep 05 -Sep 06 -Sep 07 -Sep 08 -Sep 09 -Sep 10 -Sep 11 -Sep 12
ASSAULTS
Assault incidents
11,855
12,213
14,004
14,926
15,298
15,896
15,363
14,508
15,088
14,803
Male establishments
11,088
11,355
13,020
13,719
14,283
14,949
14,594
13,848
14,416
14,214
Female establishments
767
858
984
1,207
1,015
947
769
660
672
589
Assault incidents per 1,000 prisoners
163
164
186
193
191
194
185
171
177
170
Male establishments
163
162
183
188
189
192
185
172
178
171
Female establishments
174
192
223
271
232
213
179
155
160
141
Serious assaults
1,094
1,202
1,300
1,392
1,489
1,532
1,326
1,410
1,352
1,287
Male establishments
1,031
1,133
1,231
1,328
1,434
1,487
1,291
1,366
1,303
1,258
Female establishments
63
69
69
64
55
45
35
44
49
2
Assaults on Staff
2,865
3,153
3,437
3,536
3,343
3,255
3,057
2,937
3,053
2,992
Male establishments
2,576
2,836
3,061
3,011
2,919
2,866
2,778
2,721
2,820
2,809
Female establishments
289
317
376
525
424
389
279
216
233
183
Assault on staff per 1,000 prisoners
39
42
46
46
42
40
37
35
36
34
Male establishments
38
41
43
41
39
37
35
34
35
3
Female establishments
66
71
85
118
97
88
65
51
56
44
Serious assaults on staf
9
4
f
243
286
280
282
281
306
252
310
281
252
Male establishments
225
260
263
255
261
285
241
291
262
245
Female establishments
18
26
17
27
20
21
11
19
19
Gender refers to the type of establishment. Although predominantly the gender of the people involved in the assault will be the same 
as the type of establishment, in a small number of cases - typically assaults on staff  - the gender may be different to the 
establishment type.
12 months ending
7
 
 
In the 12 months ending September 2012 there were: 
 
 
14,803 assault incidents, compared with 15,088 in the previous 12 months – a fall of 
two per cent;  
 
170 assaults per 1,000 prisoners, compared with 177 in the previous 12 months – a 
fall of four per cent; 
 
2,992 assaults on staff (20 per cent of all assault incidents) compared with 3,053 in 
the previous 12 months – a fall of two per cent;  
 
34 assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners, compared with 36 in the previous 12 
months – a fall of six per cent; 
 
252 serious assault incidents involving an assault on staff, compared with 281 in the 
previous 12 months. 
                                                 
17 Safety in Custody: Assaults table 3.3 
18 Safety in Custody: Assaults table 3.4 www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody 
 
 
- 17 -

 
 
Overall assault rates are dominated by what happens in the male prison estate which 
accounts for some 95 per cent of the prison population. Assault rates in the male prison 
estate have levelled while those in the female prison estate have fallen (see figure 4).  
 
 
Overall assault rates since 2003 have ranged between 163 and 195 per 1,000 
prisoners;  
 
Until 2009, assault rates in the female prison estate tended to be higher than in the 
male prison estate.  Rates in the female prison estate have been lower for the last 
four 12 month periods. 
 
 
Figure 4: Total assaults and assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners by gender,  
England and Wales 
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
-Sep 03 -Sep 04 -Sep 05 -Sep 06 -Sep 07 -Sep 08 -Sep 09 -Sep 10 -Sep 11 -Sep 12
Assaults per 1,000 prisoners
Assaults (Male)
Assaults (Female)
Assaults on staff (Male)
Assaults on staff (Female)
 
 
As with the overall rate, the rates of incidents involving assaults on staff are dominated by 
what happens in the male prison estate. Rates in the male prison estate remained at 
between 34 and 35 incidents per 1,000 prisoners for the last four 12 month periods ending 
September, while over the same period the figure for the female estate fell from 65 incidents 
per 1,000 prisoners in the 12 months to September 2009 to 44 per 1,000 in the 12 months to 
September 2012. Assault rates in the female prison estate show a stronger downward trend 
over the longer term, although there was a brief departure from this trend during 2011. 
 
The role of individual prisoners in assault incidents cannot always be distinguished. In some 
incidents, it is clear which prisoners are assailants and which are victims while in other 
incidents the roles are blurred. In the latter cases, those involved may be identified as 
‘fighters’. The roles are determined by local investigation of the incident. 
 
 
 
 
- 18 -

 
 
References 
 
HM Inspectorate of Prisons 
 
Prison and YOI inspections (www.justice.gov.uk/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmi-
prisons/prison-and-yoi) 
 
Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody 
 
Deaths in state custody (iapdeathsincustody.independent.gov.uk/) 
 
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) 
 
Deaths in Custody Study (www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/deathscustodystudy.aspx) 
 
Deaths following police contact (www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/reports_polcustody.aspx) 
 
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) 
 
Fatal Incident reports (www.ppo.gov.uk/investigating-fatal-accidents.html) 
 
Annual reports (www.ppo.gov.uk/annual-reports.html) 
 
World Health Organisation (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 
 
ICD 10 (apps.who.int/classifications/icd10/browse/2010/en) 
 
Ministry of Justice/NOMS 
 
Prison and Probation Statistics (www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation) 
 
Prison Service Orders (www.justice.gov.uk/offenders/psos) 
 
Prison Service Instructions (www.justice.gov.uk/offenders/psis) 
 
 
 
 
- 19 -

 
List of tables and figures 
 
This is a list of quarterly and annual Safety in Custody Statistics tables and figures.  Tables 1 
to 4 and figures 1 to 4 are included in this publication.  The remaining tables are available 
from the website19.  All tables refer to incidents in prison custody in England and Wales.  
 
 
Table description 
Period 
 
 
 
 
Safety in Custody – Summary tables 
 
Table 1 
Safety in custody summary statistics 
Oct 02 - Sep 12 
Table 2 
Deaths in custody summary statistics 
Oct 02 - Sep 12 
Table 3 
Self-harm summary statistics 
Oct 05 - Sep 12 
Table 4 
Assaults summary statistics 
Oct 02 - Sep 12 
Table 5 
Deaths in prison custody by apparent cause by quarter  
Jan 00 - Sep 12 
Table 6 
Self-harm incidents by quarter 
Oct 05 - Sep 12 
Table 7 
Assault incidents by quarter 
Oct 02 - Sep 12 
 
 
 
 
Safety in Custody – Figures 
 
Figure 1 
Deaths per 1,000 prisoners by apparent cause  
Oct 02 - Sep 12 
Figure 2 
Annual Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR) for prison population 
2002-2011 
Figure 3 
Self-harm individuals per 1,000 prisoners 
Oct 05 - Sep 12 
Figure 4 
Assaults per 1,000 prisoners – total and on staff 
Oct 02 - Sep 12 
 
 
 
 
Deaths tables 
 
Table 1.1 
Annual deaths in prison custody and rates by apparent cause  
1978 - 2011 
Table 1.2 
Annual deaths in prison custody by apparent cause and gender 
1978 - 2011 
Table 1.3 
Annual deaths in prison custody by apparent cause and age band 
1978 - 2011 
Table 1.4 
Annual deaths arising from incidents in prison custody but occurring 
elsewhere 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.5 
Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by gender 
1978 - 2011 
Table 1.6 
Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by age 
1978 - 2011 
Table 1.7 
Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by time in custody and 
current prison 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.8 
Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by type of custody 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.9 
Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by ethnicity 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.10 Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by nationality type 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.11 Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by sentence type 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.12 Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by method 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.13 Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody: Ligatures used in 
hanging/self-strangulation 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.14 Annual self-inflicted deaths in prison custody: Ligature points used in 
fatal hangings 
1999 - 2011 
Table 1.15 Annual natural cause deaths in prison custody by age group 
2001 - 2011 
Table 1.16 Annual self-inflicted deaths by establishment 
2001 - 2011 
Table 1.17 Annual natural cause deaths by establishment 
2001 - 2011 
Table 1.18 Dates of opening/closing and major re-roles of prisons 
2001 - 2011 
                                                 
19 Safety in Custody: Assaults table 3.2 www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody 
 
- 20 -

 
 
 
 
 
 
Self-harm tables 
 
Table 2.1 
Annual self-harm summary 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.2 
Annual self-harm incidents by method 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.3 
Annual self-harm incidents by age group 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.4 
Annual individuals self-harming by age group 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.5 
Annual self-harm incidents by time in current prison 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.6 
Annual self-harm incidents by type of custody 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.7 
Annual self-harm incidents by ethnicity 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.8 
Annual self-harm incidents by nationality type 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.9 
Individuals self-harming by nationality type 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.10 Annual self-harm incidents by location 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.11 Annual self-harm incidents by type of hospital attendances 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.12 Annual self-harm frequency 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.13 Annual self-harm incidents by establishment 
2004 - 2011 
Table 2.14 Dates of prisons opening/closing and major re-roles of prisons 
2001 - 2011 
 
 
 
 
Assaults tables 
 
Table 3.1 
Annual prison assault summary statistics 
2002 - 2011 
Table 3.2 
Annual assault incidents and prisoner assailants, victims and fighters 
by gender 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.3 
Annual assault incidents and prisoner assailants, victims and fighters 
by age 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.4 
Annual prisoner assailants, victims and fighters by time in current 
prison 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.5 
Annual prisoner assailants, victims and fighters by type of custody 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.6 
Annual prisoner assailants, victims and fighters by ethnicity 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.7 
Annual prisoner assailants, victims and fighters by nationality type 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.8 
Annual assault incidents by assailant / victim type 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.9 
Annual sexual assault incidents by assailant / victim type 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.10 Annual assault incidents involving weapons 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.11 Annual assaults on staff 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.12 Annual assault incidents by type of injury 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.13 Annual assault related hospital attendances / treatment for 
concussion/internal injuries 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.14 Annual assaults and prisoner on prisoner assaults by establishment 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.15 Annual assaults on staff and on prison officers by establishment 
2000 - 2011 
Table 3.16 Dates of prisons opening/closing and major re-roles of prisons 
2001 - 2011 
 
- 21 -

 
Data Sources and Data Quality  
 
The data presented in this publication are drawn the NOMS Deaths in Custody Database 
and NOMS Incident Reporting System.  
 
Information relating to deaths in prison custody is closely scrutinised and the data is 
considered to be of high quality. Classifications of deaths however, are not finalised until 
after inquest. As inquests may not be concluded until some years after a death, tables 
dependent on classifications should be treated as provisional. Changes do not generally 
affect reported trends. 
 
Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the information collected 
is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. While the figures 
shown have been checked as far as practicable, they should be regarded as approximate 
and not necessarily accurate to the last whole number shown in the tables. Where figures in 
the tables have been rounded to the nearest whole number, the rounded components do not 
always add to the totals, which are calculated and rounded independently.   
 
Self-harm and assault incidents in custody are more likely to be detected and counted than 
those occurring in the community. However, some incidents in custody will remain 
undetected and therefore go unreported.  
 
For a more detailed discussion about data sources and data quality see the ‘Guide to Safety 
in Custody Statistics’20  
 
 
Explanatory notes  
 
The statistics in this bulletin relate to deaths, self-harm and assaults in prison custody in 
England and Wales to the period ending September 2012.  As this is the first time figures 
have been published for years ending September, there are no revisions to be reported. 
 
This is the second quarterly safety in custody bulletin. Following feedback on the first edition 
some technical material has now been included in the accompanying ‘Guide to Safety in 
Custody Statistics’. 
 
Symbols and conventions  
The following symbols have been used throughout the tables in this bulletin:  
 
..  
not available  
0  
nil or less than half the final digit shown 
-  
not applicable  
(p)  Provisional data  
(r)  Revised data  
 
                                                 
20 Guide to Safety in Custody Statistics which can be found here www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-
probation/safety-in-custody 
 
 
- 22 -

 
 
- 23 -
Contact points  
 
Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office:  
 
Tel: xx-xxxx-xxxx  
 
Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to:  
 
Steve Ellerd-Elliott  
Planning and Analysis Group  
NOMS Agency  
Clive House  
70 Petty France 
London  
SW1H 9EX  
Tel: xx-xxxx-xxxx  
 
General enquiries about the statistical work of the Ministry of Justice can be e-mailed to: 
xxx@xxx.xx  
 
General information about the official statistics system of the UK is available from 
www.statistics.gov.uk 
 
 
Ministry of Justice publishes data relating to offender management in England and Wales. 
Equivalent statistics for Scotland and Northern Ireland can be found at:  
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice  
www.dojni.gov.uk/index/statistics-research/stats-research-publications.htm 
 
 
Alternative formats are available on request from xxx@xxx.xx 
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