Overview

• Assaults on prison staff reached a record high of 10,605 in 2024, marking a 15% increase from the previous year and the highest rate in a decade.
• The number of deaths in custody rose by 37% to 399 in the year ending March 2025, alongside a sharp increase in homicides from one to seven.
• Hashem Abedi, convicted for the Manchester Arena bombing, attacked three officers at HMP Frankland with hot oil and homemade weapons, highlighting severe security lapses.
• Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to trial tasers in prisons and conduct a review of protective body armour for officers to address rising violence.
• Overcrowding, understaffing, and budget constraints continue to exacerbate safety issues, with illicit economies of weapons and drugs thriving in many facilities.