London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

One in eight prisoners in England and Wales have had Covid

One in eight prisoners in England and Wales have had Covid

Prison reformers say figures support case for inmates to be given jabs as soon as possible

One in eight prisoners in England and Wales have tested positive for Covid-19 since the pandemic began, latest figures show, after a 70% surge in the number of cases recorded behind bars.

At the end of January, 10,354 prisoners or children in custody had tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, an increase of 4,227 cases since December, according to monthly data from the Ministry of Justice.

With a prison population in England and Wales of 78,000, this equates to roughly one in eight prisoners and compares with about one in 20 who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the wider community.

Penal reform campaigners said the figures backed the case for vaccinations for prisoners to be provided “as quickly as possible”. It is understood vulnerable prisoners are expected to be vaccinated in line with the general vaccine rollout.


Between March and January, 86 prisoners died having tested positive for Covid-19 or where it was confirmed postmortem, the figures show, up from 71 at the end of December.

There were 107 prisons or young offender institutions with positive cases in January. There are 121 jails in England and Wales.

Separate figures show a tentative decline in the rate of new positive cases in the first week of February, with 771 positive cases in the week to 8 February compared with 1,197 in the previous week.

Frances Crook, the chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “These figures should remind everyone that viruses can spread rapidly in confined settings such as prisons. They underline the need for vaccinations of staff and prisoners to be carried out as quickly as possible.”

David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, said: “The government’s complacency over the coronavirus pandemic in prisons is very concerning given the fact infections are far outpacing the general population.

“More staff and inmates will die if the Ministry of Justice does not get control of the virus. Outbreaks in prisons can also overwhelm hospitals and infect the rest of the public. The government’s failure to control the pandemic in our prisons – and across the country – is putting the NHS at risk.”

The MoJ has been testing all symptomatic prisoners since April and has piloted mass testing in about one-fifth of prisons.

Restrictions in prisons broadly reflect the situation in the wider community under national lockdown. Social visits are suspended in England, except on exceptional compassionate grounds. Visits to children in youth custody will continue.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “The most recent statistics show the number of infections in prisons has fallen for the last three consecutive weeks.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×