HM Prison Morton Hall paid over £55,000 for staff injury claims since 2021, highlighting dangers faced by prison staff.
Claims against Morton Hall Prison totaled £55,026.60 in four years, including £16,830.10 in 2021/2022 and £38,196.50 in 2023/2024. Morton Hall is a Category C prison located in Morton Hall, Lincolnshire, housing about 350 male inmates.
The Ministry of Justice addressed the data, stating that jails are overcrowded and neglected, and that staff are over-stretched. They believe that addressing this crisis will improve prison conditions, which should reduce compensation claims and allow taxpayer money to be spent better.
The government invests in prison security and prisoners face consequences for violence. Staff can claim for injuries, including slips, strains, or assaults that may happen while they perform their duties.
Prison populations and assault rates are rising, leading to prisons in the UK paying out thousands in claims. Operation Early Dawn, an early release scheme for prisons covering both England and Wales, started in August 2024 as the prison population hit a record high.
About 1,700 convicts left prison on September 10, 2024, having served just forty percent of their time. Staff increases haven’t matched inmate increases, putting more pressure on officers and increasing the threat of assaults from prisoners.
The prison population was 43,000 in 1994 and over 88,000 by 2024, while the number of uniformed officers stayed almost the same. These officers care for those committed by courts. In 2023/24, there were 114 assaults per 1,000 prisoners; prisoner-on-staff assaults happen over eight times daily, every day of the year.
Over the last five years, 1628 claims were lodged covering prisons across the UK, with 592 claims settled. Claims filed between 2019 and 2024 included assaults, incidents of slips and falls, control and restraint, and being struck by things. Thirty-five claims were due to job stress.
Lucy Parker, a solicitor at JF Law, stated that prison staff face a unique setting every single day. They deserve to be compensated when hurt, including for assaults, falls, or unsafe measures.
Prison staff should learn their legal rights and seek legal advice quickly to ensure their claim is treated fairly.