Safety and security ‘highest priority’ at HMP Peterborough as violence increased

In the privately run jail - the only prison in the country with both male and female wings, 858 assault cases were recorded in 2018 – up from 771 the previous year.

Last year a report from The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) raised concerns about the level of violence in the prison.

Of all the assaults recorded in the jail, 305 were assaults on prison staff.

In total, 108 were defined as serious, including sexual assaults and those where victims required hospital in-patient treatment.

The numbers also reveal that there were 1,471 incidents of self-harm, meaning a 36 per cent increase in five years.

Of those recorded last year, 26 inmates were referred to hospital.

More: Report raises concern over violence and drug issues at jail

Across England and Wales, 325 deaths were recorded in prisons in 2018, up from 295 the previous year.

In Peterborough, no prisoners died in 2018.

An HMP Peterborough spokesperson said: “Prisons are very challenging environments and we have implemented a range of measures to help address these challenges. This has included reducing the prison capacity and increasing the staffing levels for the male side of the prison. We have also implemented a new violence reduction strategy and reviewed and revised a range of prison routines. This has resulted in a significant reduction in incidents. We are proud of our staff at HMP Peterborough who do a professional job in difficult circumstances. Security and the safety of our prisoners and staff remains our top priority.”

MORE: Assaults reach record levels at HMP Peterborough