Male prisoners are much more likely than men in the wider population to have suffered childhood adversities such as child maltreatment or living in a home with domestic violence, according to a new report by Public Health Wales and Bangor University.

The findings suggests that preventative action and early intervention to tackle Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) could prevent crime and reduce costs for the criminal justice system.

In this new survey of men in Her Majesty's (HM) Prison Parc in Bridgend, South Wales, more than 8 in 10 (84 per cent) said they had experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) compared with a Welsh average of 46 per cent.

Nearly half of prisoners (46 per cent) reported they had experienced four or more ACEs. This compares to just over 1 in 10 (12 per cent) in the wider population. The report also found that prisoners with multiple ACEs (four or more) were four times more likely to have spent time in a young offender institution than those with no ACEs.

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