'Unacceptably high' self-harm at women's prison

"Urgent" concerns have been raised about "unacceptably high" levels of self-harm at a women's prison.

The thousands of repeated incidents of self-harm at HMP Eastwood Park in 2023-2024 accounted for 28% of all repeat cases across England and Wales, according to the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB).

The board said the frequency and severity of self-harm cases at the South Gloucestershire prison was resulting in poor outcomes for inmates and was impacting staff availability.

The Ministry of Justice said work was already under way to address the problems raised in the report, including "investing in safety improvements and specific training in self-harm and suicide prevention".

It is not the first time concerns have been raised about conditions at the prison.

The HM Inspectorate of Prisons previously found the rate of self-harm was the highest in the women's estate.

Following a progress visit in September 2023, the watchdog reported self-harm rates "had begun to show signs of reducing".

In its report released earlier, the IMB for HMP Eastwood Park said it had "urgent concerns about the number and severity of self-harm incidents" in 2023-2024.

The IMB is staffed by more than 1,000 volunteers, operating in every prison in England and Wales.

Its HMP Eastwood Park board found that seven individuals at the prison harmed themselves 4,204 times.

It also said incidents involving use of force had doubled to 1,039 across the year.

"In some cases, staff had no option other than to resort to use of force in order to restrain a number of very complex women attempting to seriously harm themselves," the IMB said.

"However, some excellent examples of empathy and de-escalation techniques were also observed during pressurised and volatile situations."

The report added that "high numbers of staff" were required to provide "constant supervision" of women at risk of self-harm. It said this in turn diverted staff away from other areas of the prison.

"The inconsistent regime meant prisoners spent more time locked in their cells, which created a resentful atmosphere," it added.

IMB's HMP Eastwood Park chair, Gill Pyatt MBE, said the prison's senior team and governor had been witnessed "endeavouring to keep the prison population safe".

"However, this was an uphill struggle given the impact on staffing levels of multiple constant supervisions and bed-watches," she added.

"The board hopes the prison service and prisons minister can review staffing provision across the entire estate in order to alleviate the pressure on staff and the resulting poor regime provision as a matter of urgency."

In 2023, the MoJ said it took the safety of women in custody "incredibly seriously" and was investing £14m.

"Many women in custody suffer from mental health issues which is why we continue to work closely with healthcare partners to increase the support available for those at risk," a spokesperson said at the time.

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