Prisoners in Kent have received more than £650,000 in compensation for personal injury claims.

The government has dished out thousands in payouts due to incidents involving staff, other inmates, food contamination, animal bites and asbestos.

The county’s seven active jails include HMP Elmley, Swaleside and Standford Hill on Sheppey, HMP Maidstone and the nearby East Sutton Park, as well as HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood.

Figures obtained by Legal Expert through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), revealed that prisoner injury claims in the UK have cost £9.8 million in the last five years.

A total of £650,777 has been distributed to inmates across Kent.

The highest payout total was recorded at HMP Elmley, where £347,627 was awarded for injury claims between 2020 and 2024.

Of this figure, 82% (£283,431) was from inmates being injured by other prisoners.

The remaining claims were from injuries caused by staff (£4,744) or classed as “other personal injury” (£59,452), which could include being harmed from bunk beds, food contamination, animal bites and asbestos.

Earlier this month, the prison in Eastchurch was told to review its training after a young inmate killed himself just 48 hours after being locked up.

A report by the Prison and Parole Ombudsman found “missed opportunities” in identifying the risk of suicide and self-harm when Simon Faherty was remanded to the facility in November 2023.

The 20-year-old reportedly got into a fight with a cellmate and was moved to a single-occupant cell, where he was later found to have hanged himself.

HMP Swaleside, another of the three prisons on the Island, came second for the most money paid out (£172,341), with HMP Rochester third (£67,177).

For confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time or visit www.samaritans.org.

East Sutton Park – a women's open prison and young offender's institute near Maidstone – had the lowest amount at just £8,680.

A MoJ spokeswoman said the "crisis" of overcrowded jails has been “neglected” for too long and is being addressed in a bid to reduce compensation claims.

The most common injuries in the country were from prison bunk beds, resulting in £4.5 million being distributed to inmate claimants since 2022.

Some £2.8 million was paid in damages settling claims related to slips, trips and falls and a further £446,000 was paid for asbestos-related injuries.

The latest published prison population statistics show there are only just over 1,000 spaces left in men’s prisons.

Last month, the number of convicts in England and Wales reached a six-month high, despite thousands being released early to tackle overcrowding.

The prison population stood at 87,556 as of Monday, March 17 according to new data published by the MoJ.

The government began freeing thousands of inmates early in September to try and create space, by temporarily reducing the proportion of sentences from 50% to 40%.

While the prison system undergoes review and reform, costs continue to be incurred.

An MoJ spokeswoman 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.”

Legal Expert solicitor Lucy Parker added: “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.”