Recurring concern
Insufficient availability of certified safer cells for prisoners at risk of self-harm
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Request correctionFirst reported 9 Mar 2015•Latest report 10 Dec 2025
What this concern includes
Includes failures of the provision, certification, availability, location or coverage of safer cells intended for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm, including the anchor's absence of nationally certified safer cells and comparable shortages or location gaps across prison wings or units.
Not included
- Excludes design, maintenance or ligature-point failures within an existing safer cell when the concern is not the availability or coverage of safer cells.
- Excludes general prison accommodation shortages or ordinary cell conditions without an explicit safer-cell requirement.
- Excludes broader suicide and self-harm prevention, observation or ACCT failures unless they specifically concern access to or provision of safer cells.
- Excludes fire-safer cells and other specialist accommodation designed for a different hazard unless the assertion explicitly concerns certified safer cells for self-harm prevention.
- Reports
- 5
- Individual concerns
- 5
- Date range
- 2015–2025
- Stated actions
- 4
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Unavailability of Safer Cells outside the Segregation Unit for vulnerable prisoners
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Convert 50 cells to ligature-resistant standard across 13 establishments.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
Further expansion of ligature-resistant cell provision is conditional on available resources.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
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Concerns raised1
Lack of certified Safer Cells for managing ligature risk
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Review ligature-resistant cell standards and their use in supporting prisoners in crisis.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide cells certified as safer cells in accordance with national standards
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Work with the maintenance contractor to identify further opportunities to reduce ligature points in cells.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
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Position
Fully compliant safer cells do not eliminate suicide or self-harm risk and are not sufficient alone to protect prisoners.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
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Position
Older establishments, including HMP Leeds, cannot refurbish most cells to fully meet every aspect of the safer cell specification.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
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Concerns raised1
Insufficient availability of safer cells and CCTV-monitored cells
This report raised 20 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Increase the availability of safer cells for governors wherever possible through the national prison safety programme.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
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Position
Capital investment requirements prevent safer-cell environmental improvements from progressing as quickly as desired.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
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Position
Existing ACCT support is considered sufficient to manage acute risk in most cases without additional safer-cell provision.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
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Concerns raised1
Insufficient availability of safer cells across prison wings for prisoners on ACCT
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Data last updated 7 September 2026