Bovingdon prison staff given over £180k compensation for injuries at work
It has been revealed that staff at The Mount prison in Hertfordshire have claimed more than £180,000 for injuries since 2021.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by Accident Claims showed that prison staff had claimed £182,817 for injuries at work over the last three years, including £99,029 in 2022/23 alone.
Figures show that across the country as a whole, more than a third of injury claims in the past three years came from staff being assaulted by prisoners.
According to the Ministry of Justice, in 2023/24, there were 114 assaults on prison staff for every 1,000 prisoners across the country.
It contributed to the 1,628 claims lodged against UK prisons in the last five years, of which 592 were settled.
The most common claim category is assaulted by prisoners, followed by slips, trips, falls and control and restraint issues. More than £33m has been paid out in settlements for the claims.
An inspection of HMP The Mount, near Bovingdon, by the prison inspector in 2023 found a shortage of officers, with staff availability forty per cent below the expected levels.
The same inspection found an increase in the percentage of prison officers who are inexperienced, with more than sixty per cent having been in the role for less than two years.
Lucy Parker, a solicitor with JF Law, said: “Prison staff face a unique and challenging environment daily.
“When they are injured due to negligence, whether it’s an assault by an inmate, a slip and fall, or inadequate safety measures, they have the right to seek compensation.
“It’s crucial for prison staff to understand their legal rights and seek professional legal advice to ensure their claim is handled fairly”.
The Ministry of Justice did not respond to a request for comment on this story.