ASSAULTS by prisoners on other inmates at a top security jail near York almost trebled after Covid lockdown restrictions were relaxed last year.

There were 29 such assaults at Full Sutton Prison in 2021, compared with just ten in 2020, the prison's independent monitoring board's annual report has revealed.

It said the restricted nature of the regime in 2020 because of the pandemic, in which prisoners only mixed regularly with the same small cohort of fellow prisoners, meant there was less opportunity for wider scale disputes, bullying and debt-related issues to arise.

"As restrictions relaxed in 2021, and there was greater mixing between prisoners, there was more opportunity for disputes between prisoners to occur and this is reflected in the figures above," it said.

"There were also occasions when there were pushbacks by individuals against the continuing restrictions, and there was one concerted incident of defiance against the need to return to the wing after exercise. For the most part, however, the atmosphere within the prison remained calm."

The report said incidents of violence against staff reduced from 34 in 2020 to 30 in 2021, and there were five assaults which were more serious in nature in 2021, which was the same as in 2020. "Four of the serious cases occurred in the segregation unit."

It said the prison remained safe and secure, in spite of the pressures created by the pandemic.

However, it said Covid restrictions significantly reduced prisoners’ access to education, work and association, as they spent much of the day in their cells.

The number of incidents of self-harm also rose from 125 in 2020 to 144 in 2021 drug testing had to operate with reduced staffing and incidents of use of force by prison staff increased from 193 in 2020 to 226 in 2021.

However, the governors and staff successfully limited the spread of Covid within the prison through a dedicated Covid19 Team, while maintaining safety and security, and regular communications with prisoners via a newsletter and prisoner council meetings ensured that prisoners understood the reasons for restrictions and changes to the regime.

Board chair Richard Terry said the prison housed some of the country’s most complex and serious prisoners, and 2021 had been a 'testing and tiring year for prisoners and staff alike.'

He said: "Our overall assessment is that prisoners were treated fairly by the regime, despite the changing pressures created by the pandemic.

"Action was taken where possible to mitigate the effect of the restrictions, and the prisoners themselves coped well.

"The Governor and staff, through their effort and hard work, limited the spread of the virus, maintained security, and ensured the environment was as safe as possible."