§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded incidents there were in prisons in England and Wales of inmates causing self-harm in the last years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [65289]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe number of self-harm incidents reported by Prison Service establishments in the three years between 1995–96 and 1997–98 is set out in the table. Some caution is required in interpreting the table. A number of factors influence the pattern of figures across establishments and time. For instance, there would be a higher volume of prisoners associated with local prisons and a single disturbed prisoner can be responsible for a large number of self-harm incidents in any one year.
The Prison Service is developing a range of measures to reduce levels of self-harm including: reviewing screening processes to identify those at risk; sharing good practice; improving cell design to produce a safer environment; and conducting research into suicide and self-injury.
The Government take a particular interest in this important area of work. My noble Friend Lord Williams chairs a regular meeting between the Prison Service and a range of representatives from groups interested in prison suicides. These include: the Samaritans; Howard League; Prison Reform Trust; Inquest and the Board of Visitors. The meetings are held to discuss how the Prison Service and these groups can work more closely together to try to reduce the rate of suicides and instances of self-harm.
199WWe welcome the current thematic review of suicide and self-harm conducted by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons and look forward to seeing his report which is soon to be published.
200W
Incidents of self-harm in Prison Service establishments Prison 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 Acklington 20 23 14 Albany 4 11 11 Aldington 0 0 1 Altcourse n/a n/a 11 Ashwell 15 3 2 Askham Grange 5 4 4 Aylesbury 21 18 32 Bedford 0 18 39 Belmarsh 138 26 143 Birmingham 238 77 84 Blakenhurst 23 29 53 Blantyre House 0 0 0 Blundeston 10 24 19 Brinsford 301 157 90 Bristol 59 52 64 Brixton 53 34 70 Brockhill 1 11 69 Buckley Hall 38 12 11 Bullingdon 49 43 47 Bullwood Hall 312 0 97 Camp Hill 15 11 9 Canterbury 14 9 17 Cardiff 123 78 77 Castington 12 13 13 Channings Wood 17 11 15 Chelmsford 56 147 136 Colchester n/a n/a 0 Coldingley 0 2 0 Cookham Wood 49 46 23 Dartmoor 44 47 78 Deerbolt 166 114 87 Doncaster 639 288 599 Dorchester 0 28 30 Dover 8 9 10 Downview 2 4 2 Drake Hall 5 14 9 Durham 207 13 168 East Sutton Park 3 1 0 Eastwood Park 61 176 95 Elmley 49 243 339 Erlestoke 6 3 0 Everthorpe 10 46 20 Exeter 0 21 103 Featherstone 8 27 26 Feltham 532 241 292 Ford 1 0 0 Foston Hall n/a n/a 3 Frankland 52 32 30 Full Sutton 46 33 14 Garth 14 28 27 Gartree 37 9 6 Glen Parva 80 79 136 Gloucester 29 47 24 Grendon/Spring Hill 15 14 8 Guys Marsh 8 22 28 Haslar 4 12 6 Hatfield 0 4 1 Haverigg 5 7 4 Hewell Grange 0 1 0 Highdown 66 44 56 Highpoint 32 2 53 Hindley 74 40 79 Hollesley Bay 61 19 41 Holloway 192 139 252 Holme House 82 154 127 Hull 128 90 103 Huntercombe 12 6 18
Incidents of self-harm in Prison Service establishments Prison 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 Kingston 0 8 1 Kirkham 1 2 7 Kirklevington 0 0 0 Lancaster 5 4 5 Lancaster Farms 67 33 31 Latchmere House 0 0 0 Leeds 57 59 95 Leicester 25 25 106 Lewes 21 16 30 Leyhill 0 1 1 Lincoln 53 208 87 Lindholme 9 8 7 Littlehey 14 38 41 Liverpool 72 127 130 Long Lartin 22 36 43 Low Newton 109 47 65 Lowdham Grange n/a n/a 1 Maidstone 3 13 17 Manchester 98 86 35 Moorland 54 42 93 Morton Hall 0 1 0 Mount, The 5 16 2 New Hall 260 116 190 North Sea Camp 0 0 1 Northallerton 61 61 47 Norwich 65 76 58 Nottingham 7 2 66 Onley 100 49 75 Oxford 0 0 n/a Parkhurst 46 2 14 Pentonville 71 51 41 Portland 25 31 16 Prescoed 2 0 0 Preston 29 67 100 Ranby 11 30 41 Reading 54 70 72 Risley 168 128 190 Rochester 8 15 34 Send 0 0 1 Shepton Mallet 9 8 9 Shrewsbury 18 33 38 Stafford 44 35 32 Standford Hill 2 0 1 Stocken 12 9 15 Stoke Heath 61 50 61 Styal 108 92 96 Sudbury 1 1 4 Swaleside 31 9 7 Swansea 37 61 133 Swinfen Hall 8 32 13 Thorn Cross 8 3 1 Usk 16 1 0 Verne, The 8 6 11 Wakfefield 18 24 22 Wandsworth 156 168 307 Wayland 73 25 23 Wealstun 2 2 5 Weare n/a n/a 12 Wellingborough 0 0 7 Werrington 15 11 25 Wetherby 48 52 24 Whatton 3 1 3 Whitemoor 0 45 49 Winchester 9 36 26 Wolds 37 30 32 Woodhill 146 155 155 Wormwood Scrubs 20 85 118 Wymott 7 15 26 Total 6,670 5,373 7,023