'Our prisons are in crisis' - attacks on staff and inmates in Lancashire prisons at five year high
Levels of violence inside UK prisons have reached unprecedented highs, with new figures showing that prisons in Lancashire have recorded their highest number of inmate and staff assaults in the past five years.
Data obtained by Legal Expert reveals a rise in both prisoner-on-prisoner violence and attacks on staff at HMP Garth, Lancaster Farms, Preston and Wymott, which combined, held around 3,200 inmates in 2024.
In the 2024/25 financial year, Lancashire prisons reported 730 assaults between prisoners - a dramatic increase from 314 incidents five years earlier.
Over the same period, assaults on prison staff rose by 108 per cengt, climbing from 137 in 2020/21 to 284 in 2024/25.
The escalation in violence across Lancashire mirrors a nationwide trend. According to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data, there were 20,570 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and 10,568 assaults on staff across the prison system in the past year, up nine per cent and seven per cent, respectively, compared to the previous year.
In June 2025, Government research confirmed a link between overcrowded conditions and rising violence, showing that inmates in packed prisons are nearly 20 per cent more likely to be involved in assaults than those in facilities operating below capacity. As a result, the government has pledged £40 million in new funding for enhanced security and surveillance measures as part of its ‘Plan for Change’, which also includes the creation of 14,000 additional prison places by 2031.
Patrick Mallon, a solicitor at JF Law, said: “The growing number of violent incidents at prisons highlights the intense pressure the system is under. Chronic overcrowding, limited rehabilitation programmes, and staffing shortages have created environments where aggression thrives. Without significant reform and greater investment in staff safety and prisoner wellbeing, these numbers will continue to climb, putting both officers and inmates at risk.”
The UK prison population has been rising steadily for three decades, increasing from 43,000 in 1994 to over 88,000 in 2024, yet the number of uniformed officers has remained largely unchanged. Experts say this imbalance is fuelling instability and making it harder for staff to maintain control.
What does the Ministry of Justice say?
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “These statistics once again lay bare the extent of the crisis facing our prisons – with levels of violence, assaults on staff and self-harm far too high. The Government has made it clear it will do whatever we can to protect our hardworking staff – which is why we are trialling tasers in prisons and mandated protective body armour for prison officers working with the most dangerous offenders.
"But it is clear fundamental change is needed, which is why we’re also reforming our jails so they create better citizens, not better criminals."