While politicians argue about tech firms and online safety, a different kind of violence has been quietly escalating behind prison walls. The numbers are stark: serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults have surged 71.4% since the end of World War Two.

In 1942, when Britain was fighting for survival, there were 14 serious assaults between prisoners. By 1998, that figure had climbed to 24. These aren't minor scuffles or arguments that got out of hand. These are the assaults serious enough to require medical attention or investigation.

The timing tells its own story. As Britain rebuilt after the war, as living standards rose and society became more civilised, our prisons moved in the opposite direction. The institutions meant to rehabilitate became more violent, not less.

This isn't about overcrowding alone. Prison populations fluctuate, but the underlying trend towards serious violence between inmates has persisted across decades. Each of these 24 annual assaults represents someone's son, brother, or father being seriously hurt while in state custody.

The data reveals something uncomfortable about British justice. We've spent decades debating sentencing policy, rehabilitation programmes, and prison conditions. But the fundamental question of keeping prisoners safe from each other has received far less attention.

Consider what this means for deterrence. If you're facing jail time, you're not just considering the loss of freedom or the stigma of conviction. You're calculating the odds of serious violence. For many, that calculation might tip towards more desperate measures to avoid prison altogether.

The trend also raises questions about what we expect prison to achieve. If inmates emerge more traumatised and potentially more violent than when they entered, the system fails both public safety and individual rehabilitation. Violence begets violence, and these assaults don't stay locked behind bars.

Prison staff know this reality intimately. They manage institutions where serious violence between prisoners has become 71% more common than it was when their predecessors were dealing with wartime conditions and genuine hardship.

The Ministry of Justice publishes these figures quarterly, but they rarely make headlines. Politicians prefer discussing tougher sentences and new prison buildings. The basic safety of people already inside receives less attention, despite being fundamental to everything else we claim prisons should accomplish.

Every serious assault represents a failure of duty of care. The state has removed these individuals from society and assumed responsibility for their safety. When that safety deteriorates decade after decade, it's not just a prison problem. It's a reflection of what we value and what we're willing to ignore.