Written question asked by Craig Whittaker (Conservative) on Monday, 7 March 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 March 2016. It was answered by Caroline Dinenage (Conservative) on Tuesday, 15 March 2016 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners: Self-harm

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce self-harm among female prison inmates.

Answer: The Government is committed to reducing the incidence of self-harm in prisons. All prisons, including women’s prisons, are required to have procedures in place to identify, manage and support people who are at risk of harm to themselves. These include the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process, which is a prisoner-centred, flexible care planning system for prisoners identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm. The ACCT process is designed to ensure that all prisoners are managed in a way that is responsive to individual needs and risks, including those related to gender.

Secondary information