This article describes a survey of self-injury during a 6-month period from the beginning of 1974 in Holloway Prison. Psychological, criminal and social characteristics of the sellf-mutilating women are compared with those of the Holloway Prison population as a whole. Patterns in time or place of self mutilation are investigated. Significant findings are that self-mutilating women are younger, have longer sentences, more violent offences & higher hostility scores.