<p><br /> Self-harm among women prisoners remains a "serious concern", according to an independent watchdog.<br /> </p><p><br /> Prison staff are resorting to extreme measures, including force, to stop inmates wounding themselves, a report found.<br /> </p><p><br /> The Chief Inspector of Prisons said the problem is most obvious in local prisons, where many new prisoners begin their sentence.<br /> </p><p><br /> Dame Anne Owers said there is "commendable work" in many women's prisons, but more must be done to protect vulnerable inmates.<br /> </p><p><br /> Although women make up only 5 per cent of the total prison population, they account for almost half of all self-harm incidents.<br /> </p><p><br /> In one year 11,747 incidents were recorded among a prison population of around 4,300 women. In 2009, there were three women prisoner suicides, a fall from a peak of 14 in 2003.<br /> </p>
