A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the Prison Service has paid out £428,000 in compensation over the past three years following staff assaults on prisoners in England and Wales – a bill picked up by taxpayers.
Over the same period – April 2023 to March 2026 – there were 147 payouts totalling £10 million to prisoners assaulted by other prisoners, and 99 payouts totalling £6 million to staff assaulted by prisoners.
In 2024, one in five surveyed prisoners (20%) said they had feared for their safety. More than a quarter (28%) said they had been verbally abused and 17% said they had been physically abused. Of those who had been abused, threatened, bullied or assaulted, more than half (54%) said they had not reported it. (Prison Reform Trust, February 2026)
For further information, click here.