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PR 267: 'BRING IT BACK’ CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR PRISON MAINTENANCE TO BE BROUGHT BACK ‘IN-HOUSE
Labour should deliver on its promise to introduce the “biggest wave of insourcing in a generation” by bringing prisons maintenance contracts back “in house”, says the union representing the UK’s 32,000 Prison Officers and Operational Support Staff.
The Union says that “Outsourcing” by the Ministry of Justice has been an unmitigated disaster. The previous Tory Government’s decision to privatise all prison maintenance (to Carillion and Amey) in England and Wales has seen conditions across the Prison Estate drastically deteriorate.
Following the collapse of Carillion a corporate-style “GovCo” – Government Facilities Services Limited (GFSL) took over the contracts, but the race to the bottom continued and now, 10 years later, there is widespread squalor in prisons and an estimated maintenance backlog of almost £2 billion.
As these contracts come up for renewal over the coming months the POA is calling on the Labour Government to deliver on its pre-election pledge to oversee “the biggest wave of insourcing for a generation.”
The POA is launching the “BRING IT BACK IN HOUSE” campaign with a call to return to full works departments in every establishment. However, the Government has stated that the public sector won’t be invited to bid for the new contracts, after a 2023 assessment (which ministers refuse to release) determined that “a privatised solution was the preferred option for meeting prison maintenance service needs”.
Steve Gillan, General Secretary of the POA said:
“Privatised prison maintenance has been a costly and unmitigated disaster. It is more expensive than public sector provision and delivers a much poorer service. Privatised prison maintenance contracts are a classic case of a false economy.
Privatisation of prison maintenance has seen conditions deteriorate, with many in a state of squalor evidenced by a crumbling estate, rodent infestations and appalling conditions for staff and prisoners alike.
As these contracts expire the Government has the perfect opportunity to make good on its promise to oversee the biggest wave of insourcing for a generation. These contracts should be brought back in house to improve quality, provide value for money for the taxpayer and end the privatisation rip off.”
Mark Fairhurst, National Chair of the POA added:
“The evidence we have heard from Prison Officers across the country about the condition of the UK’s jails is a damning indictment of privatised prison maintenance - a system that is failing at every level.
A decaying and crumbling prison estate does not create an atmosphere conducive to rehabilitating offenders. We need to bring these contracts back in house to ensure that we have prisons that are safe, hygienic and dignified for staff, prisoners and visitors.
ENDS
NOTES
Here is a link to photos of the prison estate. These are all taken from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons reports
Below are quotes from Prison Officers currently working in jails in England and Wales. They are talking about the state of the UK’s Prisons;
“The state of the control room is becoming more of a disgrace. There is a rodent infestation and the smell of urine from the rodents, along with all the dirt and disease that they carry, flows around the control room day and night. But the finances to get us moved won’t be available until 2026-27”.
“The main gate is constantly on back-up. Often staff are waiting outside because the system has gone into meltdown. Literally, staff need to stand on an old wooden box, pull a lever and ‘pray’. Failing that, the gate staff hand-operate the ‘electronic’ doors.”
“Recently I was supervising a works party when a parcel containing contraband was thrown over the prison wall. Prisoners immediately attempted to hide the parcel, passing it among themselves, while others swarmed my colleague and me in an effort to distract us. Recognising the potential danger to both staff and prisoners, I immediately requested camera coverage from the control room to help locate the parcel and ensure everyone’s safety. However, I was informed that the cameras in that area were not working and had been broken for some time.”
“The walkway lighting is not working intermittently, putting staff at risk of trips and falls during the night.
Fire alarms are an ongoing issue, either not working or going off with no indication in the control room as to where in the prison the alarm is. CCTV is not working on the residential units or the grounds.”
“In recent weeks, I have raised over 10 different works requests due to a leak in a service cupboard. Each time, a plumber turns up but won’t touch it because electricity is present then an electrician turns up and won’t touch it because water is present – and the issues still remain. We never had these problems when we had our own works department. Every repair was carried out promptly and there was never an occasion when the budget ran out before the end of the financial year”.
“Often the boilers go down on residential units. One wing with 250 prisoners had no hot water for 10 days. Often the boilers go down on residential units. One wing with 250 prisoners had no hot water for 10 days.”
“In my workshop, there has been no hot water since April 2022. The only solution provided has been a single portable sink left over from the Covid-19 pandemic, shared by 20 prisoners and two female staff members. To this day, there is no running hot water. For prisoners, the inability to wash their hand properly during work shifts – often involving manual labour – is both unhygienic and deeply demoralising. Hygiene is not just a practical need but a matter of dignity, and this neglect sends a clear message that their basic wellbeing is not a priority.”
“Our establishment is over 150 years old and in need of much upgrading and maintenance. For the past eight years, we’ve been using temporary boilers to heat the jail, at a great cost to the taxpayer. We have an ongoing legionella issue and are waiting for underground water pipe replacement. The kitchen has had a leaking roof for the last 20 years, it’s had no heating for eight years and a condemned fridge with a broken door has not been replaced or fixed for eight months. These issues have a big impact on the day-to-day running of the establishment.”
“The huge advantage of having in-house works is the fact that repairs can be done in a more efficient and expedited manner. The cost of the repairs can be reduced as they won’t add on huge labour costs to the actual materials to complete the repair.”
For further information, contact:
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