The Howard League says self harm is as serious as suicide

Over 21,000 prisoners harm themselves in custody every year, according to a new report from The Howard League.

The report says overcrowding and staff shortages have helped to make self-injury a part of "everyday life" for inmates and prison staff.

The group wants a dramatic reduction in the prison population and says only those who "genuinely pose a threat to society" should be jailed.

A Home Office spokesman said the Prison Service agreed with the figures, but said the large increase had been due to changes in the criteria for reporting self-harm.

According to the Howard League's report - which looked at the six months from November 2001 - one in ten women in British prisons had harmed themselves while in jail.

It found that one in 20 children and one in 41 category-B male inmates had also harmed themselves during their sentences.

The injuries included cutting, scratching, burning, biting or strangulation.

'Everyday life'

Howard League policy officer Claire McCarthy said: "These new figures reveal that there are almost 60 incidents of self-injury every day in prisons.

"The prison service's strategy for suicide and self-injury looks good on paper.

"However, a combination of overcrowding, staff shortages and a failure to appreciate some of the contextual issues relating to prison, mean that self-injury is a part of the everyday life of prisoners and prison staff."

Staff training may help cut injuries, the league says

She called on the government to "provide the political leadership necessary to dramatically reduce the prison population".

She added: "The prison service must work tirelessly to ensure that every prison sentence is a supportive, engaging and constructive experience."

In 2001, 7,486 instances of prisoners injuring themselves were recorded. But the Prison Service later revised the figures as being far too low.

The Howard League says overcrowding is one of the most important contributory factors in prisoner self-harm.

Three-year strategy

The report recommends custodial sentences should "only be imposed on people who have committed the most serious crimes and genuinely pose a threat to society".

It calls for all prison officers to undergo training to help prevent self-harm by inmates, and suggests that self-inflicted injuries should be treated as seriously as prison suicides.

The report also urges the use of the Hurt Yourself Less workbook - published by the National Self-Harm network - as well as trying to involve prisoners' families to help them.

The Home Office spokesman said there had been inconsistencies in the way injuries were being reported, adding: "There had been a lot of under-reporting."

It has launched a three-year strategy to try to stop prisoners hurting themselves.

The main efforts were going into "high risk" areas, such as remand and the first few weeks of custody when prisoners were adapting to their new environment.

Thirty full-time suicide prevention officers, and a further 99 part-time will also be funded as part of the strategy.