Prisoner self-injury on the rise in Canada

Incidents of federal prisoners slashing, burning, banging their heads and choking themselves behind bars have more than tripled in the last five years.

Figures obtained by CBC News Network's Power & Politics under Access to Information show a dramatic rise in cases of self-inflicted injuries and suicide attempts - and reveals the biggest spikes in regions where overcrowding, violence and gang proliferation are most acute.

Across Canada, the number of incidents of self-injury climbed to 958 last year - up from 271 in 2006. In the Prairies, incidents have grown ten-fold, from 45 to 465 in the five-year period.

And the data released by Correctional Service of Canada reveals another alarming trend in the Prairies - incidents of self-inflicted injury involving aboriginal women have soared from just 8 in 2006 to 214 last year. Numbers include some repeat incidents by the same offender.