Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken work with relevant authorities to reduce instances of violent crime in prisons.

HMPPS works closely with a range of law enforcement and local authority partners, and the Crown Prosecution Service to tackle the issues of violent crime in prison.

The Ministry of Justice, in close collaboration with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), work jointly to address and reduce violent crime within custodial settings. These steps are aligned with the Crime in Prison Referral Agreement (CiPRA), which establishes clear protocols for the referral of onward investigation, and prosecution of serious offences committed in prison environments. Under this agreement, all serious assaults, sexual offences, and incidents involving conveyance or escapes are referred to the police within strict timelines (immediately for life-threatening incidents and within seven days for other serious offences). This ensures that serious criminal acts are addressed through the justice system rather than solely through internal disciplinary measures.