Injury claims by prison staff who have been assaulted by inmates across Britain’s chronically overcrowded jails has cost taxpayers almost ￡50m since 2019. Despite prisons having processes designed to minimise the risk of injury to prison officers whilst they are at work, there are fears these procedures are failing to keep a lid on rising incidences of attacks by convicts.

       And there is also a spiralling number of personal injury claims being lodged by prison staff which are being submitted for accidents such as slips and trips, muscle strains sustained while performing their duties. The near ￡50m cost to the public purse has been uncovered following a Freedom of Information request by legal firm Accident Claims. Last year the Labour government launched its Operation Early Dawn ‘early release scheme’ for prisons across England and Wales, as the total prison population soared to an all-time high.

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       That meant that on September 10, around 1,700 convicts walked out of prisons in England and Wales after serving just 40% of their sentence.

       But the researchers say the increased prison population levels were often not matched by an increase in the number of prison staff. That has resulted in more pressure being piled on officers who struggle to cope the rising threat of more prisoner-on-guard assaults.

       Accident Claims found that over the past five years claim costs have totalled ￡49,520,936.90, with the highest amount in 2021/22 standing at ￡17,622,645.98.

       The prison population has increased annually for the last thirty years, rising from 43,000 in 1994 to over 88,000 in 2024.

       Despite this, the number of uniformed officers employed to care for and protect those committed by the Courts has remained almost static.

       This imbalance in staff numbers has resulted in disturbing figures as, according to the Ministry of Justice, there were 114 assaults on prison staff per 1,000 prisoners in 2023/24.

       Additionally, prisoner-on-staff assaults continue at a rate of over eight per day every day of the year.

       Based on figures gathered from HM Prison and Probation Service, the prisons with the highest claim costs since 2019 have been revealed.

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       HMP Wormwood Scrubs in London had the highest claim costs at ￡2.6m, while HMP Feltham, Downview, Highdown and Leeds also had costs of over ￡2m.

       Many campaigners argue that investing in safer and more humane prison conditions and providing support to both staff and inmates may reduce the overall number of compensation claims and save taxpayer money.

       Peter Dawson of the Prison Reform Trust said: “Our prison system is failing on every front, as these numbers show.

       “But unusually this is a public service which could be fixed by reducing demand rather than increasing supply.”

       According to figures gathered by the HM Prison and Probation Service, 1628 claims have been lodged against prisons across the UK in the last five years, 592 of which have been settled.

       The most common claims were assaults by prisoners, with 637 submissions, followed by slip, trips and falls, as well as Control and Restraint claims, which were both lodged over 200 times.

       JF Law solicitor Lucy Parker said: "Prison staff face a unique and challenging environment daily.

       “When they are injured due to negligence, whether it's an assault by an inmate, a slip and fall, or inadequate safety measures, they have the right to seek compensation.

       “It's crucial for prison staff to understand their legal rights and seek professional legal advice to ensure their claim is handled fairly."

       Read the full Accident Claims report here