Record level of suicides, self-harm and violence in prisons
Suicides, assaults and self-harm in prisons have all reached new record levels, new figures reveal.
There were 354 deaths behind bars in England and Wales last year, including 119 which were apparently self-inflicted.
The statistics, released by the Ministry of Justice, underline the scale of the task facing the Government as it attempts to address the jail safety crisis.
The figures showed there were:
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The number of apparent suicides - equivalent to two every week - represented a jump of nearly a third on the previous year.
There were three apparent homicides, which was down from a record high of eight in 2015.
There were 7,000 more self-harm incidents recorded than the previous 12 months.
The number of serious attacks has also increased, up by 28% year on year.
There were 6,430 assaults on staff in the 12 months to September 2016 - up 40% on the previous year.
Of these, 761 were serious.
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The Prison Reform Trust said reducing the jail population is the 'only realistic way' to make prisons safe in the future.