Latest editorial
Prison officers’ union POA accused the government yesterday of failing to protect the public after it announced plans to “raise capacity” at bursting jails by cramming more prisoners into existing sites.
An extra 440 places were announced this week by the Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), but all will be in established prisons.
This is in addition to a further 900 places in private jails.
Our members face serious violence, crumbling workplaces and exposure to dangerous drugs — it is outrageous we still cannot legally use our industrial muscle to fight back and defend ourselves, writes STEVE GILLAN
MARK FAIRHURST highlights the main issues facing officers in a long neglected service, and raised by front-line delegates at POA conference last week, including understaffing, violence, bullying and the ongoing denial of workers’ right to strike