{"id":6608,"date":"2025-08-18T12:15:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T12:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prisonersadvice.org.uk\/?p=6608"},"modified":"2025-08-18T12:15:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T12:15:22","slug":"failures-to-meet-prisoners-basic-needs-fuelling-self-harm-epidemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prisonersadvice.org.uk\/wordpress\/2025\/08\/18\/failures-to-meet-prisoners-basic-needs-fuelling-self-harm-epidemic\/","title":{"rendered":"FAILURES TO MEET PRISONERS&#8217; BASIC NEEDS FUELLING SELF-HARM EPIDEMIC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Failures to meet the basic needs of prisoners is fuelling an epidemic of self-harm, according to new research by the Samaritans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study identified five overall causes of self-harm amongst prisoners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Failures to provide basics such as food, bedding or healthcare<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of purposeful activity and time out of cell\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bad interactions with staff, especially when they are dismissive or punitive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A feeling of not being listened to or being unable to express needs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of access to mental health services, or long waits to be seen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cPeople who self-harm in prison described experiencing a profound lack of agency and an inability to meet basic needs such as getting food, bedding, and healthcare. Self-harm acted as a way to feel a sense of control over one\u2019s self in an environment where autonomy is severely restricted.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Access to purposeful activities, time out of cell, and appropriate in-cell distractions were described as crucial for managing self-harm in prison. Participants said having access to distraction and social interaction helps them avoid thoughts of self-harm and self-harm behaviours.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the twelve months to March 2025, there were 77,898 incidents of self-harm in prisons in England and Wales &#8211; with the rate at a record high in both male and female estates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/insidetime.org\/newsround\/prison-failures-lie-behind-self-harm-epidemic-says-samaritans-report\/\">click here.<\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/insidetime.org\/newsround\/prison-failures-lie-behind-self-harm-epidemic-says-samaritans-report\/\">&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Failures to meet the basic needs of prisoners is fuelling an epidemic of self-harm, according to new research by the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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