Violence at Peterborough prison down year-on-year but self-harm rising among women, annual report reveals

Violence at Peterborough’s prison and young offenders institute has decreased year-on-year – but self-harm is rising among women, according to a new report published this month.

The annual Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) report revealed that violence at the HMP Peterborough has mostly decreased within one year between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022,

However, self-harm has been found to be on the rise in the women’s wing but, according to papers, ‘few prolific and persistent self-harmers’ represent a significant

proportion of the total.

Self-harm

The number of self-harm incidents has risen to 1,154 among female population – which is a 14 per cent rise during the same time period the year before.

Shockingly, this adds up to 702 more self-harming incidents when compared to the male wing.

The report was monitored at a time when inmates were required to ‘tolerate a Covid regime’.

Most inmates during the pandemic were being locked in their cells for up to 22.5 hours a day and this had resulted in a level of ‘dissatisfaction’.

It meant for inmates that until Covid measures were lifted outside of jail, they would not be able to see their families.

The report said: ‘Women complained verbally to board members that they felt a lack of support from clinical, mental and drug health services which leads them into self-harm.’

Unusually, HMP Peterborough, which serves the east midlands, east of England and Essex, is the only prison in the country with both a male and female wing.

Inside, there are two house blocks, which contain 10 wings – including a young adults unit for women aged 18–25.

There is also a 12-bed, 13-cot mother and baby unit and extra facilities onsite include classrooms, workshops, a gym, a chapel, library.

Violence

The report said that the board was ‘pleased with the downward trend in violence’ at the prison.

At the male wing, prisoner-on-prisoner assaults were down by one per cent on last year, with 175 assaults in total – including eight serious assaults.

Prisoner-on-staff assaults (77, including nine serious) were also down four per cent on the previous year.

The report acknowledged that ‘less force is being used to maintain discipline, to the credit of staff de-escalation skills’, with the use of force by staff to maintain good order declining by 11 per cent.

However, the report noted that ‘common sense would predict the risk that violence may increase back to more pre-Covid levels as restrictions are removed’ and prisoner-on-prisoner fights in the men’s wing (60 – one serious) did see an 11 per cent rise.

In comparison to the female wing, there were fewer prisoner-on-prisoner fights between women (13) but this was a 44 per cent rise on the previous year.

However, prisoner-on-prisoner assaults (29 – one serious) and prisoner-on-staff assaults (43 – three serious) fell by three per cent and 23 per cent respectively.

An HMP Peterborough spokesperson said: “We always welcome comments from the IMB and their annual report. We are particularly pleased that both our commitment to positive prisoner outcomes, as well as our ongoing efforts to reduce violence, have been recognised. This is a testament to our staff and the professional job they do at HMP Peterborough.”