Prison assaults reach their highest point in more than five years

ASSAULTS at Huntercombe Prison have significantly increased, according to fresh data.

A Freedom of Information request by law firm Legal Expert found that the number of assaults between inmates and against staff is at its highest point in more than five years.

In 2010, HMP Huntercombe switched from being a young offenders’ institution for 18- to 21-year-olds to a prison for adult males, which saw its assault rate drop significantly.

However, since then, the number of assaults (including fights) has crept steadily up with five assault cases in 2011 rising to 90 last year.

The only time it has been higher is in 2018, when there were 92 assaults.

Serious assaults have also increased, reaching double figures last year for the first time since 2019. There were 13 assaults compared to four in 2023.

Assaults on staff are also increasing. Last year there were 33, the highest since the switch from a young offenders’ prison to one for adults.

There were zero assaults against staff logged the previous year and similarly low numbers for the two years prior. The next highest number was a decade ago when there were 22 assaults against staff.

However, Huntercombe is ranked in the top third of prisons with the lowest assault rates, coming 31st out of 117.

Its latest inspection, in August 2023, was also broadly positive.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons reported that it found Huntercombe to be a “safe and respectful” prison, led by an “excellent” governor.

Inspectors praised its programme supporting prisoners to understand themselves better and learn to make more considered choices.

However, inspectors did note that the levels of violence in Huntercombe had increased and “not enough had yet been done to understand the causes”.

Inspectors also noted “some spikes” in drugs coming into the prison. highlighted as an ongoing problem nationally by Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, earlier this year. He said that
overcrowding and a lack of activity caused boredom and frustration among prisoners “which heightened the demand for drugs”.

He wrote: “The supply and use of illicit drugs are the overriding themes of his report, undermining every aspect of prison life.”

Mr Taylor said that “far too little” was being done to keep drugs out of jails, too many prisoners said it was “easy to get hold of them”, and the rate of positive random tests frequently reached more than 30 per cent.

Writing his conclusions about Huntercombe Mr Taylor said there was “not enough education or training provision for the population”, which is “unacceptable” for this type of “training and resettlement” prison.

He also noted difficult relationships between prisoners and staff, saying some staff “were not engaged or supportive” and there was a need for more training, particularly in understanding the needs of foreign national prisoners — some of whom had been victims of torture.

Mr Taylor added: “My team and I were surprised by how often prisoners were negative about their treatment by some staff.”

In June, the Ministry of Justice linked overcrowding with increased violence.

Looking over a one-year period, its research showed that prisoners in overcrowded cells are 19 per cent more likely to be involved in an assault.

At Huntercombe, there are about 520 prisoners there according to latest figures — compared to about 460 at the end of 2023.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “These statistics once again lay bare the extent of the crisis facing our prisons — with levels of violence, assaults on staff and self-harm far too high.

“The Government has made it clear it will do whatever we can to protect our hardworking staff — which is why we are trialling Tasers in prisons and mandated protective body armour for prison officers working with the most dangerous offenders.

“But it is clear fundamental change is needed, which is why we’re also reforming our jails so they create better citizens, not better criminals.”