UK prisons face scrutiny as nearly £10 million paid in prisoner injury claims over five years

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has paid out nearly £10 million in compensation to prisoners across the UK over the past five years, with new figures revealing the extent of injury claims made by inmates for incidents ranging from bunk bed accidents and slips and falls, to animal bites, asbestos exposure, and food contamination.

Among the prisons included in the data is His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Dartmoor, which closed in July 2024 after dangerously high levels of radon gas were detected, forcing the temporary relocation of over 400 inmates. The prison, steeped in history and originally built in 1809 to house prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars, has been a long-standing fixture of the UK’s prison estate. However, a prison officers’ union recently indicated the closure could last at least three years.

In the five years leading up to its closure, HMP Dartmoor alone accounted for £28,892 in personal injury payouts, according to data obtained by Legal Expert, a claims advisory service. Payments included:

• £5,000 in 2020

• £11,688 in 2021

• £4,744 in 2023

• £7,460 in 2024

These figures reflect claims for a wide range of injuries potentially caused by unsafe bunk beds, workshop and kitchen accidents, asbestos-related exposure, and other health and safety issues.

Nationally, the MoJ paid a staggering £9.8 million in prisoner injury claims from 2019 to 2024. Of that, £4.5 million was linked to injuries caused by bunk beds — by far the most common category. Slips, trips, and falls accounted for a further £2.8 million, while asbestos-related claims resulted in £446,000 in compensation.

The revelations come amid deepening concerns over the state of Britain’s prison system, which is currently facing a capacity crisis. The most recent figures show only around 1,000 spaces remain in male prisons across the country, prompting emergency measures from the government. In September 2024, the SDS40 policy was introduced, allowing prisoners to be released after serving just 40% of their sentence - a move which was met with widespread criticism.

Former Justice Secretary David Gauke released his Independent Sentencing Review earlier than planned, warning that the UK is facing “the consequences of decades of haphazard policy-making and underinvestment,” which have brought the justice system “to the brink of collapse”.

The crisis is not only impacting sentencing and early releases, it’s also contributing to the growing financial burden of injury compensation payouts, which are symptomatic of a strained and under-resourced system.

Lucy Parker, a solicitor at Legal Expert, noted: “Prisoners, like anyone else, have a right to safety while incarcerated. Whether it’s negligence in workshops, unsanitary food, unsafe sleeping arrangements, or asbestos exposure, inmates can and do pursue legal compensation when harmed.”

While debate continues over sentencing reforms and prison capacity, the compensation figures show the real-world cost of failing infrastructure and inadequate safety measures behind bars - costs borne by the taxpayer and, increasingly, by an overstretched justice system.

As HMP Dartmoor awaits its future and the prison service reckons with widespread reform, the government faces mounting pressure to address systemic failings, or risk continued payouts and a further erosion of public confidence.

https://www.legalexpert.co.uk/how-to-claim/prison-compensation-claims/