THE number of people dying in prison rose by 30 per cent in the past year, official figures revealed today.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data show that 401 people in prison died in the 12 months to the end of June, including 86 deaths recorded as “self-inflicted,” with seven homicides recorded.

The prison system also saw a record high of 77,898 incidents of self-harm in the year to March 2025 — one every seven minutes.

Rates rose by 5 per cent in men’s prisons and 6 per cent in women’s prisons.

Prisons recorded 30,846 assaults during the same period, a 9 per cent rise on the previous year.

Deborah Coles, director at the charity Inquest, called the figures “yet another devastating indictment of the appalling state of the prison system.”

She said official recommendations continue to be systematically ignored and called for “a radical turn away from the use of degrading, harmful and expensive sites of custody.”

“These statistics continue to worsen whilst no meaningful action is taken to address the root cause of why deaths and self-harm are increasing in prison: an over-reliance on punishment to deal with social issues,” she said.

“We cannot accept people being continually locked up to die.”

Annual Prison Performance Ratings for 2024-25, also released today, showed that 22 prisons were rated as of “serious concern” — the highest number since the ratings were introduced.

Howard League for Penal Reform’s Andrew Neilson said: “It is unconscionable to see the huge rise in deaths in custody, as well as continued spikes in self-harm and assaults.

“Exposing people to failing institutions where deaths, distress and violence is the norm is no way to prepare individuals for a safe and crime-free life on release.”

Prison Officers Association national chairman Mark Fairhurst said: “These appalling statistics highlight how dangerous the prison officer role has become.

“Without investing in [more staff and] protective equipment, the service will lurch from crisis to crisis. We want control, not chaos.”

An MoJ spokesperson said the government is trialling tasers in prisons and mandating protective body armour for officers.

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