Exploring Prison Safety: Insights From Two Decades of HM Inspectorate of Prisons Surveys in England and Wales

ABSTRACT

This article presents an analysis of surveys conducted by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales of 87,449 adult male prisoners between the years 2000 and 2020. It describes the survey methodology and focuses on the 13,025 people who reported feeling unsafe. The article identifies associations between trends in feelings of unsafety with prison assault rates and staffing levels but not with overcrowding. Focusing on those prisoners who do not feel safe and the individual characteristics and experiences they report, we summarise correlations with age, reception and early days in prison, treatment by staff and participation in education and rehabilitative activities. The article suggests further ways in which the survey data could be explored to elaborate on these initial findings