HMP Manchester sees rises in prisoner-on-prisoner assaults

Violence in UK prisons has reached record levels, with both prisoner assaults and assaults on staff rising due to overcrowding and strains on the prison system.

Figures obtained by Legal Expert have revealed that the number of prisoner-on-prisoner and prison staff assaults at Manchester Prison has increased over the past five years.

In June 2025, government research highlighted a worrying link between overcrowded conditions and increased violence in prisons, as offenders are nearly twenty percent more likely to be involved in assaults in overpopulated jails.

Consequently, the government announced a £40 million investment in new security measures aimed at reducing violence behind bars.

Patrick Mallon, a solicitor at legal firm JF Law, said: “The alarming year-on-year rise in assaults in UK prisons is a stark reflection of a system under immense strain.

“With prison populations growing and a significant number of prisons now officially overcrowded, the Ministry of Justice is facing a growing crisis as this limited space creates an unstable environment where violence becomes increasingly common.”

Manchester Prison, commonly referred to as Strangeways, is situated in Manchester City Centre and had a reported inmate population of 866 in 2024.

In 2024/25, Manchester Prison recorded 221 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, up from 81 assaults five years earlier.

The increased rate of violence in prisons can be attributed to many reasons, yet some of the main factors include overcrowding, lack of purposeful activity, staffing levels, security, and poor mental health.

The prison population has increased annually for the last thirty years, rising from 43,000 in 1994 to over 88,000 in 2024.

Despite this, the number of uniformed officers employed to care for and protect those committed by the Courts has remained almost static.

As reported in the BBC, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This government inherited a prison system in crisis, overcrowded and rife with violence, and we are fixing this by delivering the fastest prison-building programme in more than a century.”

The government’s ‘Plan for Change’ aims to build 14,000 extra prison places by 2031, and the new investment will help combat the flow of contraband, which creates unsafe environments in jails.

Legal Expert also obtained figures on how many prison staff assaults have taken place at Manchester Prison over the past five years.

The number of assaults on staff at the prison has risen from 53 in 2020/21 to 162 in 2024/25.

Ministry of Justice statistics show that, in the past year, there were 10,568 assaults on prison staff and 20,570 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults – 7% and 9% increases on the previous year, respectively.

Resulting figures collated by the Institute for Government found that, in crowded accommodation, for each 10 additional prisoners per 1,000 prisoners, there was around 1 more prisoner-on-prisoner assault and around 1.5 more staff assaults.

Patrick Mallon said: “The Prison Service has a legal duty of care to protect individuals in its custody, and where it has failed to do so, for example by not segregating a vulnerable inmate, that individual may be entitled to seek compensation for their injuries through a personal injury claim.

“Similarly, prison officers have a right to a safe workplace. The employer’s duty of care extends to providing adequate training, resources, and a secure environment to protect their staff from harm.

“These claims are not only about securing compensation for the physical and psychological harm suffered but also about holding the responsible authorities to account and highlighting the urgent need for systemic change.”

Legal Expert provides expert claim and legal advice services for prison injury compensation claims.

They operate a 24-hour helpline and an online claim form, which can be accessed on their website.