Violence behind bars in the North East hit a record high last year - with more than five assaults taking place every day.
Figures released by the Ministry of Justice reveal that 1,913 attacks were recorded at Deerbolt, Durham, Frankland, Holme House, Low Newton, Northumberland prisons in 2018.
That is up from 1,494 the previous year, and the highest number since at least 2003, when modern records began.
The news comes as campaigners warn that “fundamental reform is being stymied by the lack of parliamentary time available for legislation”.
The number of serious assaults actually fell last year across North East prisons.
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An assault is classed as “serious” if it is sexual, if the prisoner requires detention in hospital as an inpatient, or if injuries include things like broken bones, burns, stabbings, bites, and black eyes.
There were 248 serious attacks at prisons in the region in 2018 - down from 273 the previous year.
The 248 serious attacks remains the second-highest number on recent record, though.
Nearly a third of those (73) were at Oakwood Prison, and 68 happened at Dovegate Prison.
There were 42 at Holme House Prison, 28 at Deerbolt Prison, and 22 at Frankland Prison.
The remaining seven occurred at Low Newton Prison.
At least 167 of the serious assaults were prisoner-on-prisoner attacks, and 37 were on prison staff.
The figures do not reveal who the remaining victim of a serious attack was.
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “The figures reveal the sheer scale of the challenge to transform a prison system that has been overburdened and under-resourced for years.
“Change is happening, but it is like trying to turn around an oil tanker.
“I welcome the Government’s efforts to reduce violence, including recruiting more staff to increase numbers and refresh the workforce, but fundamental reform is being stymied by the lack of parliamentary time available for legislation.
"I believe the will is there among ministers to make prisons safe and to reduce their unnecessary use, but in the end, lives can only be saved and violence reduced if the nettle of reform is grasped.”
The figures coincide with news that the overwhelming majority of violent attacks at HMP Northumberland were not investigated by police.
Figures revealed staff were attacked around once every five days, with 76 assaults reported last year alone.
Of those, just 22 were passed to police following an internal probe by bosses at the privately operated jail.
A spokesperson for the 1,300-capacity prison said police are "notified when necessary" about attacks.
But a union claimed the figures raised alarm bells about how bosses at HMP Northumberland are tackling trouble inside.
"I'm quite shocked at this data," admitted Glyn Travis, from The Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers.
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"We can never tell if the police would prosecute any individual, but that percentage seems extremely low.
"It seems like they are dealing with matters internally rather than getting the police involved."
A spokesperson for HMP Northumberland said: “Prisons are a challenging environment to manage, and the safety of staff, prisoners and visitors remains a top priority.
"Any act of violence or aggression against prison staff is unacceptable.
"An internal investigation is undertaken after every reported incident and we continue to ensure that prisoners are held responsible and that the police are notified when necessary.
"All prison staff have the right to report any incident to the police and we will provide our full support throughout any investigation and resulting court case.
“At HMP Northumberland we have implemented a number of measures to address these challenges.
"These include an increase in staffing levels and the recruitment of a violence reduction manager.
"We have implemented a new violence reduction strategy which incorporates the national case management model – designed to challenge and support residents whilst addressing inappropriate behaviour."
“We are proud of our staff at HMP Northumberland who do a professional job in difficult circumstances.”
Latest figures show attacks on prison staff rose 21% in a year as record levels of violence continue to sweep through jails in England and Wales.
There were 10,213 assaults on staff - around 27 a day - recorded in the 12 months to December 2018, up 21% from the previous year, a Ministry of Justice report showed.
Rory Stewart, prisons minister, said: “Violence and self-harm in prisons remains unacceptably high, but I’m pleased at these early signs that we are making progress.
“It’s particularly encouraging to see a quarterly drop in violence, the first in two years.
“Our dedicated prison staff deserve enormous credit and I want to thank them all for their tireless work.
“There is still much to do, however, and no-one should underestimate the effort required to return long-term stability to the prison estate.
“We will continue to prioritise improving safety and security - making conditions safer for prison officers and prisoners, and ultimately protecting the public.”
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