INMATES at HMP Haverigg were handed dozens of extra punishments in just three months after breaking rules, figures show.

Drastically curtailed prison regimes, cell confinements and other restrictions contributed to a national drop in adjudications (hearings which take place when a prisoner is accused of rule-breaking) during the coronavirus pandemic, experts say.

Ministry of Justice data shows 28 adjudications were recorded concerning possible rule breaches at HMP Haverigg between January and March, down from 30 during the same period in 2020. Of those, 17 (61%) resulted in a guilty verdict.

Adjudicators can punish inmates with a range of disciplinary measures, from adding days to their sentences to stopping earnings and taking away their privileges.

Separate figures show punishments recorded in that quarter included three cases involving violence, 21 linked to disobedience and one concerning unauthorised transactions, which could involve drugs or alcohol.

Unruly convicts at HMP Haverigg, some of whom may have received more than one punishment at an adjudication, were handed a total of 26 punishments between January and March, with the most common being stopping their earnings.

More than 37,200 adjudication outcomes were recorded across England in that time, a fall of more than a quarter compared to the same period last year.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said additional days could pile pressure on the prison population and worsen overcrowding, rather than solve problems.

She said: "The prison system has been hugely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with institutions running drastically curtailed regimes that keep prisoners isolated in their cells for the vast majority of the day.

"These draconian restrictions have impacted on adjudications and the imposition of additional days of imprisonment."

The Prison Service said social distancing and reduced contact time between prisoners and staff throughout the pandemic resulted in less indiscipline, adjudication and related punishments.

A spokesperson added: “Our essential measures to save lives and limit the spread of the virus in our prisons led to fewer adjudications during the pandemic.”

The number of referrals for adjudications fell far below the level of previous years due to the suspension of disciplinary hearings requiring independent adjudicators between March and June 2020.