The number of assaults on staff at a high-security prison is at its highest in the last seven years.

Violence in UK jails is reaching record levels, with attacks on the rise due to overcrowding and strains on the system.

Figures obtained by Legal Expert through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) revealed the volume of assaults within HMP Swaleside on Sheppey.

In June, government research highlighted a worrying link between overcrowded conditions and increased violence in prisons, as offenders are nearly 20% more likely to be involved in assaults in overpopulated jails.

Consequently, it announced a national £40 million investment to fund new security measures, including window replacements, CCTV and control room upgrades, vehicle gates, biometrics and floodlighting.

These are set to boost safety, combat the influx of drone activity and clamp down on suspected wrongdoing behind bars.

HMP Swaleside, near Eastchurch, which is part of the Sheppey cluster along with HMP Elmley and HMP Standford Hill, accommodates more than 1,000 prisoners.

As of March 2024, England and Wales had a total prison population of approximately 87,900 people, which is predicted to reach between 95,100 and 114,200 by 2027.

A key part of the government’s Plan for Change is to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031.

The investment is set to help combat the flow of contraband, which creates unsafe environments in jails.

At HMP Swaleside, the number of assaults on staff at the site has risen from 185 in 2018/2019 to 399 in 2024/25.

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

Due to Covid and the restrictions in place at the time, there was a decrease during 2019/2020 (163) and 2020/2021 (124).

It comes after the prison faces a potential staffing crisis due to a change in visa rules.

There are concerns that the jail will be badly hit because a third of job applicants there come from overseas.

Under a change in the skilled worker visa rules, they need to earn £41,700 – up from £38,700 previously.

This means foreign prison officers may not earn enough to qualify when they need to renew their visas.

Yearly statistics from the MoJ show that in 2024, the total rate of assaults was 30,490, which was an increase of 11%, and 10,605 of these incidents were on prison staff.

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

A spokesperson for the MoJ said: “These statistics once again lay bare the extent of the crisis facing our prisons – with levels of violence, assaults on staff and self-harm far too high.

“The government has made it clear it will do whatever it can to protect our hardworking staff, which is why we are trialling tasers in prisons and mandated protective body armour for prison officers working with the most dangerous offenders.

"But it is clear fundamental change is needed, which is why we’re also reforming our jails so they create better citizens, not better criminals."

HMP Swaleside says it is working to reduce the causes of violence and challenge those who perpetrate it through the use of adjudications, incentives and formal investigations where relevant.

In 2024/25, the prison also recorded 362 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, up from 250 assaults seven years earlier.

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 MoJ is facing a growing crisis as this limited space creates an unstable environment where violence becomes increasingly common.”

He added: “HM 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."