Grim scale of inmates self-harming in Preston Prison

Inmates harmed themselves hundreds of times while behind bars at Preston Prison in a year, figures reveal.

Prisoners self-harmed at least 623 times in the 12 months to September 2020, an increase from 541 times the year before, figures from the Ministry of Justice show.

At least 31 of these incidents were serious enough to warrant a hospital visit

Cutting, drug overdoses and attempted hanging are among cases that must be logged as self-harm by staff at the facility, which housed around 671 people that September.

Incidents across England and Wales have declined since a record high was reported in the year to September 2019, but latest figures from the MoJ show a quarterly increase at Preston which recorded 189 cases between July and September, compared to 149 the three months before.

The MoJ says that the most recent figures reflect an exceptional time, given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the prison population, while experts believe prison lockdowns and enforced solitude could be contributing to mental distress behind bars.