Prison safety Making prisons safer

Deaths custody

Self-harm incidents

Assaults

Prison safety Making prisons safer is our most significant and urgent priority. We have a programme of work to: tackle the increase in violence; reduce the number of self-harm incidents; and prevent self-inflicted deaths. The safety programme includes measures to: drive immediate operational improvements; reform key policies and processes; and transform staffing levels, staff capability and our estate.

Prison Safety We want to explore the benefits of working in partnership to increase the capacity of establishments to tackle the drivers of self-harm, suicide and violence. Our strategy for suicide prevention and violence reduction includes both: prevention, through developing supportive environments; and intervention, through the identification and management of those most at risk. So as well as proposals for supporting the prisoners who are most at risk, we are interested in measures to improve wellbeing more generally. We are particularly interested in applications that have been developed in partnership with establishments, including healthcare and other partners where appropriate.

Drivers of suicide and self-harm The risk factors are broadly similar, and self-harm can be predictive of suicide. However it is important to separate the two behaviours when considering individuals. Imported vulnerabilities include static factors, such as family history of suicides, as well as more dynamic ones such as mental illness, substance misuse and unhelpful coping strategies. Custodial factors include trigger points such as early days and transitions more generally such as sentencing, transfers, parole etc. Environmental factors include the availability of means as well as the quality of the physical environment, and relationships with other prisoners, staff and families.

Drivers of prison violence Again these include imported factors about the individual, as well as environmental factors. Individual factors include immaturity and impulsivity, poor conflict resolution skills and poor tolerance of stress and frustration. Environmental factors include dirt and dilapidation, poor food and inability to access basic amenities. Procedural factors include perceptions of injustice and inappropriate use of authority as well as a lack of respect. Lack of activity is associated with boredom, debt and bullying, and sleep disturbance which are all drivers.

Prison Safety We are interested in measures to address any or all of the known drivers, and would particularly welcome proposals to develop and test ways to: facilitate peer support schemes; encourage prisoners in distress to seek help; tackle the issue of debt amongst prisoners; support the prisoners who self- harm most frequently; support prisoners who isolate themselves from others; reduce involvement in gangs and harmful group behaviour; facilitate the mediation of conflict between prisoners; involve families in supporting those at risk; provide in-cell activities and distraction materials; support prisoners in the early days in custody; support prisoners who may be at risk of suicide following release from prison; intervene following deaths and other traumatic events to provide support and reduce the risk of further incidents.