2 weeks Ago
Prisoners at HMP Lewes were paid almost £130,000 in compensation for injuries sustained in jail in the last five years. New data obtained by Legal Expert, has revealed that between 2020 and 2024, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has paid out a total of £128,468.66 for injury claims made by prisoners at the Category B prison.
Of that, £28,345 was paid out in compensation for claims relating to injuries caused by other prisoners. The remaining £100,124 was classed as “other personal injury” which could include; injuries from bunk beds, food contamination, animal bites and asbestos. In 2020, the MoJ forked out £52,297.
66 settling prisoner injury claims from inmates at HMP Lewes followed by £4,000 the year after and £14,725 in 2022. A further £37,960 was paid out in 2023 as well as £19,486 in 2024. Last year the stark reality of life at HMP Lewes was laid bare with drugs being smuggled by drone , hundreds of acts of self-harm, increasing violence, crumbling infrastructure and dirty rooms.
The latest published prison population statistics show there are only just over 1,000 spaces left in men’s prisons, prompting former justice secretary David Gauke to release his Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) earlier than expected. In the interim report, Mr Gauke said he is confronting “the consequences of decades of haphazard policy-making and underinvestment in the criminal justice system - bringing it to the brink of collapse”. In September, the government’s standard determinate sentencing scheme, which aimed to create more spaces in prisons, saw prisoners released just 40 per cent of the way through their sentence.
In that time frame, for every 100 people released from prison, 67 were recalled. Although Mr Gauke’s report does acknowledge that “factors including the introduction of a mandatory supervision period for shorter sentences, and heightened probation officer risk aversion..
. have contributed to this increase”. Further figures obtained by Legal Expert revealed that prisoner injury claims in the UK have cost the MoJ £9.
8 million in the last five years. The most common injuries were from prison bunk beds - resulting in £4.5m being paid to inmate claimants since 2022.
Some £2.8m was paid in damages-settling claims related to slips, trips and falls and a further £446K was paid for asbestos-related injuries. Legal Expert solicitor Lucy Parker said: “Prisoners, like anyone else, have a right to their safety while incarcerated.
We have seen many different cases over the years of prisoners suffering injuries during their incarceration, from accidents in workshops and kitchens to incidents with staff. “When they are injured due to negligence, whether it's at the hands of an officer, a slip and fall, or inadequate safety measures, they have the right to seek compensation and to get legal advice on their case.” A Ministry of Justice spokesman 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.”.
