Injury claims from prison staff at HMP Leeds assaulted by inmates cost over £2m since 2019, FOI figures show
Over £2m has been paid out after claims were made by staff at HMP Leeds since 2019, a freedom of information request has found.
HM Prison Leeds is a Category B men's prison located at Gloucester Terrace in the Armley area of Leeds. It currently houses over 1,100 inmates.
Accident Claims obtained figures on how much prison staff claims against Leeds Prison have cost since 2019.
Over the past five years, claim costs totalled £2,053,183.19, with the highest amount in 2019/20 standing at £1,474,733.89.
In 2020/21 there was £242,443.12 made in claims by prison staff. Then, in 2021/22 it was £274,365.49 and in 2022/23 it was £61,640.67.
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 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.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Our jails are overcrowded, have been neglected for too long, and our hardworking staff are over-stretched. By addressing this crisis, we can begin the work of improving prison conditions to reduce the need for compensation claims and ensure taxpayer money is spent more effectively.
“The Government is investing in prison maintenance and security, and prisoners who are violent towards staff or other prisoners will face the full consequences of their actions.”