Prison staff injury claims rise

With prison population levels and prisoner-on-staff assault rates continuing to rise, prisons across the UK have had to pay out millions in claims made by staff. Accident Claims obtained figures showing that prison staff claims against prisons have cost nearly £50m since 2019.

Prison staff work in a harsh environment and are exposed to stressful situations almost every day. Despite prisons having processes designed to minimise the risk of injury to prison officers, there are times when these processes fail, leading to accidents or assaults.

Personal injury claims lodged by prison staff often involve incidents such as slips and trips, muscle strains, or assaults by inmates while on duty. The UK government launched Operation Early Dawn in August 2024, an ‘early release scheme’ for prisons across England and Wales, as the total prison population reached an all-time high. On September 10, around 1,700 convicts walked out of prison in England and Wales after serving 40% of their sentence.

The increased prison population levels were often not matched by an increase in the number of prison staff, leading to more pressure on officers and a rise in prisoner-on-guard assaults. Accident Claims obtained figures on how much prison staff claims against UK prisons have cost since 2019. Over the past five years, claim costs totalled £49,520,936.90, with the highest amount in 2021/22 standing at £17,622,645.98.

The prison population 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 over eight per day every day of the year.

Based on figures gathered from HM Prison and Probation Service, the prisons with the highest claim costs since 2019 have been revealed. HMP Wormwood Scrubs in London had the highest claim costs at £2.6m, while HMP Feltham, Downview, Highdown and Leeds also had costs of over £2m.

Many campaigners argue that investing in safer and more humane prison conditions and providing support to both staff and inmates may reduce the overall number of compensation claims and save taxpayer money. Speaking to the Byline Times, Peter Dawson of the Prison Reform Trust said "Our prison system is failing on every front, as these numbers show. But unusually this is a public service which could be fixed by reducing demand rather than increasing supply. The political love affair with imprisonment as a symbol of toughness lies at the root of the problem, and both main parties are to blame."

According to figures gathered by HM Prison and Probation Service, 1,628 claims have been lodged against prisons across the UK in the last five years, 592 of which have been settled. The most common claims were assaults by prisoners, with 637 submissions, followed by slips, trips and falls, as well as Control and Restraint claims, which were both lodged over 200 times.

Speaking to Accident Claims, JF Law solicitor Lucy Parker said "Prison staff face a unique and challenging environment daily. When they are injured due to negligence, whether it's an assault by an inmate, a slip and fall, or inadequate safety measures, they have the right to seek compensation. It's crucial for prison staff to understand their legal rights and seek professional legal advice to ensure their claim is handled fairly."

Accident Claims offers support to prison staff who have suffered an injury at work and provides free advice on whether they can claim compensation. They operate a 24-hour helpline and claim online form, which you can access on their website.