INJURY claims from staff at HMP Long Lartin assaulted by inmates have increased tenfold since 2020 according to a Freedom of Information request.
Figures obtained by personal injury company Accident Claims found that over the past four years, claim costs totalled £235,292.28, with the highest amount in 2023/24 standing at £194,617.38.
This is up from £18,452.90 in 2020/21.
HM Prison Long Lartin is a Category A men’s prison near Evesham which currently houses over 500 inmates. It holds some of the most dangerous men in the country including terrorists, murderers and organised crime gang bosses.
Despite prisons having processes designed to minimise the risk of injury to prison officers whilst they are at work, there are times when these processes fail, and an accident or even an assault takes place.
According to figures gathered by the HM Prison and Probation Service, 1628 claims have been lodged against prisons across England and Wales in the last five years, 592 of which have been settled.
The most common claims were assaults by prisoners, with 637 submissions, followed by slip, trips and falls, as well as control and restraint claims, which were both lodged over 200 times.
To protect staff from serious assaults a synthetic pepper spray is available for use by prison officers in the adult male estate. Body-worn video cameras are also available to some officers.
The prison population in England and Wales has increased annually for the last thirty years, rising from 43,000 in 1994 to over 88,000 in 2024.
Despite this, the number of uniformed officers employed to care for and protect those committed by the courts has remained almost static.
This imbalance in staff numbers has resulted in disturbing figures as, according to the Ministry of Justice, there were 114 assaults on prison staff per 1,000 prisoners in 2023/24.
Additionally, prisoner-on-staff assaults continue at a rate of more than eight per day every day of the year.
In response to the figures a Ministry of Justice spokesperson, said: “Our jails are overcrowded, have been neglected for too long, and our hardworking staff are overstretched.
“By addressing this crisis, we can begin the work of improving prison conditions to reduce the need for compensation claims and ensure taxpayer money is spent more effectively.
“The Government is investing in prison maintenance and security, and prisoners who are violent towards staff or other prisoners will face the full consequences of their actions.”
Accident Claims offers support to prison staff who have suffered an injury at work and free advice on whether they can claim compensation.
Visit: accidentclaims.co.uk/accident-at-work-claim/prison-officer-compensation-claims for more information.
