PR 265: PRISON OFFICERS UNION CALLS FOR ACTION TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE IN PRISON

The Union representing the UK’s 35,000 Prison and Operational Support Grade Officers is calling for urgent action to address soaring levels of violence in jails in England and Wales. 

The latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that in the 12 months to September 2024, there were 342 assaults per 1,000 prisoners (29,881 assaults in total), up 14% from the 12 months to September 2023.

For the same period, the rate of assaults on staff was 120 assaults per 1,000 prisoners (10,496 assaults on staff in total), up 19%. 

Meanwhile the number of serious assaults on staff rose by 22%. 

Commenting on the release of these statistics Steve Gillan, General Secretary of the Prison Officers Associations said:

“These figures expose the true picture of violence in the prisons of England and Wales. The POA has been relentless in telling His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice of the need for urgent action to address both violence against staff and prisoner on prisoner assaults but as we can see from these statistics which are the highest level of violence ever, that any action they have taken has been ineffective.”

Mark Fairhurst, National Chair of the POA said: 

"HMPPS and MOJ cannot dismiss the evidence that is staring them in the face. With assaults on Prison Officers up 19% and serious assaults up 22% we need urgent and sustained action to protect our members and the prisoners they look after. The POA continues to give HMPPS solutions to reduce the unacceptable levels of violence in our Prisons, but they refuse to listen. In any other sector there would be consequences for such a catastrophic failure by an employer to reduce violence. When POA members protect their health and safety at work they are threatened with disciplinary or court action. It is time Prison Leaders left their ivory towers and started listening to the frontline instead of forcing staff to work in unsafe prison regimes in pursuit of unlock periods that achieve little and are breeding violence against POA members.”

ENDS 

 

 

The latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice are below

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-september-2024/safety-in-custody-statistics-england-and-wales-deaths-in-prison-custody-to-december-2024-assaults-and-self-harm-to-september-2024

  

For further information, contact:

POA Press Office                                                  020 8803 0255 Option 7