PRISON officers will face tighter restrictions on using incapacitating spray, after a disabled inmate took the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to court over the chemical restraint substance.
The move has been welcomed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which funded the challenge, but the Prisoner Officers’ Association (POA) said it was concerned staff safety could be compromised by the decision.
Former prisons minister Rory Stewart announced last October that so-called Pava incapacitant spray would be rolled out to officers across adult male prisons.
Working in a high-risk sector, prison officers’ calls for proper PPE must be heeded – and the POA will be fighting to ensure effective protection at work is delivered, writes MARK FAIRHURST
