In the Guardian today:

Longer sentences, overcrowding and inexperienced staff cited as factors in ‘rising tensions’ in prisons Notorious prisoners such as the Soham killer Ian Huntley are facing increasingly violent attacks from inmates with “nothing to lose”, the head of the Prison Governors’ Association has said. Tom Wheatley, the president of the PGA, which represents governors in England and Wales, said those serving lengthy sentences or whole-life tariffs in high-security institutions had “no fear” of being given additional time in prison, and could earn status by singling out famous child murderers and paedophiles.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/13/governors-warn-of-increasing-violence-of-nothing-to-lose-inmates-attacking-notorious-prisoners

The Daily Record in July 2025 would have you believe it’s no better here:

Meanwhile in England’s prisons:

In the 12 months to March 2025, the rate of assaults on staff was 122 assaults per 1,000 prisoners (10,568 assaults on staff), up 7% from the 12 months to March 2024 to a new peak.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-march-2025/safety-in-custody-statistics-england-and-wales-deaths-in-prison-custody-to-june-2025-assaults-and-self-harm-to-march-2025

All things being equal, you’d expect the figure for Scotland to be around one eleventh of that 10 568, between 950 and 1 000, but according to the Daily Record and all the other frothing Scottish media is was 350, only just over one third of the level.

Assaults on prison officers in England & Wales were THREE time as frequent as in Scotland.

Prison officers assaulted by inmates three times a day in England’s jails.