Violence and self-harm in women’s jails hits record high as prisons crisis deepens

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The number of assaults and self-harm incidents in women’s prisons in England and Wales has hit record highs, new figures show.

Analysis of Ministry of Justice data reveals the number of assaults in the female prison estate has almost tripled between 2010 and 2023 - increasing from 653 to 1,781 incidents. The number of assaults shot up by 32 per cent last year - up from 1,346 incidents in 2022.