Injury claims from staff at Bedford Prison assaulted by inmates cost over £80k since 2021

Figures obtained by Accident Claims found that the prison service has had to pay out over £80,000 to prison staff who have lodged claims against Bedford Prison since 2021.

Prison staff work in a harsh environment and are exposed to stressful situations almost every day.

Despite prisons having processes designed to minimise the risk of injury to prison officers whilst they are at work, there are times when these processes fail, and an accident or even an assault takes place.

Personal injury claims lodged by prison staff are often submitted for accidents such as slips and trips, muscle strains, or assaults by inmates while performing their duties.

The UK government launched Operation Early Dawn in August 2024, an ‘early release scheme’ for prisons across England and Wales, as the total prison population reached an all-time high.

On September 10, around 1,700 convicts walked out of prison in England and Wales after serving 40% of their sentence.

The increased prison population levels were often not matched by an increase in the number of prison staff, which has led to more pressure being piled on officers, such as the threat of more prisoner-on-guard assaults.

Accident Claims obtained figures on how much the cost of settling prison staff claims against Bedford Prison have cost since 2021.

Over the past five years, the prison has paid out a total of £81,292.42, with the highest amount coming in 2022/23 standing at £67,856.72.

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 8 per day every day of the year.

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.

Speaking to the Byline Times, 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.

“The political love affair with imprisonment as a symbol of toughness lies at the root of the problem, and both main parties are to blame.”

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.

Speaking to Accident Claims, 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."