While experts gather in Delhi to debate AI safety, a more immediate threat is spiralling out of control much closer to home. Britain's prisons have become dramatically more violent, and the numbers reveal just how quickly things can deteriorate behind bars.

Serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults more than doubled in 2023, jumping from 41 incidents to 84 — a staggering 105% increase in just twelve months. (Source: Ministry of Justice, Safety in Custody -- safety-in-custody-assaults-dec-23 -- 3_1_Summary_assault_statistics)

This isn't about petty squabbles or minor altercations. These are the assaults serious enough to require outside hospital treatment, involve sexual assault, or leave victims unconscious. They're the incidents that fundamentally change lives — sometimes ending them.

The scale of this surge defies easy explanation. Prison populations haven't doubled. Staffing cuts alone don't account for such a dramatic spike. Something more fundamental is breaking down in Britain's correctional system, and it's happening fast.

Each of these 84 serious assaults represents someone's son, father, or brother facing violence that goes far beyond the punishment handed down by any court. Even those serving time for serious crimes don't deserve to face life-threatening attacks from fellow inmates.

The timing couldn't be worse. Prisons are already overcrowded, with the government scrambling to find space for new inmates. Staff are stretched thin, resources are limited, and now violence is escalating at an unprecedented rate.

What makes this particularly alarming is the trajectory. Prison violence typically fluctuates gradually — small increases here, modest decreases there. A 105% jump in serious assaults suggests something has fundamentally shifted in prison culture or operations.

These aren't just statistics for Ministry of Justice spreadsheets. Behind each incident is a victim requiring emergency medical treatment, a perpetrator likely facing additional charges, and families receiving phone calls no one wants to answer.

The question isn't whether prisons should be comfortable — they're meant to be punishment. But they're also meant to be safe enough for people to serve their time and potentially rehabilitate. When violence doubles in a single year, that basic promise breaks down.

Britain talks endlessly about being tough on crime. But if we can't keep prisoners safe from each other, what hope is there for rehabilitation or redemption? The numbers suggest we're failing at the most basic level of prison management: preventing inmates from seriously harming one another.