New Ministry of Justice figures show that 394 people in prison died throughout 2025 – a 15% increase on the previous year. This figure includes 79 deaths recorded as “self-inflicted”, as well as 13 deaths among the female estate – up from nine in 2024.
The total number of deaths throughout 2025 exceeds the previous high of 371 deaths in 2021, recorded when prisons were effectively in lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, prisons recorded 31,555 assaults throughout 2025 – a 6% rise on the figures for the previous 12 months. The rate of assaults was 83% higher in the female estate than in male establishments.
In response, Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, stated:
“The dire state of our prisons is revealed starkly in today’s figures. When almost 400 people die behind bars in a single year, it is a national scandal. While the government has taken steps to reduce pressure on the prison population and stabilise regimes, clearly more needs to be done. Further action would save lives, protect staff and help more people to move on from crime.”
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