Challenges faced by prison officers across the UK

Fourteen years of Conservative rule and the swathing budget cuts and political chaos which permeated the era have left the prisons sector in England and Wales in a perilous state. The Ministry of Justice saw a merry-go-round of 11 Secretaries of State for Justice and 13 different prison ministers from 2010-2024, with this succession of ministers overseeing a 25% cut to the department’s budget.

Earlier this year Community, in collaboration with Public First, produced a landmark report which laid out the scale of the crises affecting the sector: from recruitment and retention to prison overcrowding, and the ongoing epidemic of violence against staff.

The prison and custodial workforce is now less experienced than it has ever been – not surprising when you consider that a collective 86,000 years of prison officer experience were lost between 2010 and 2021 – and is at greater risk of assault.

Speaking on the epidemic of violence against prison officers, Community NEC member Nick Hunt said:

“No one should have to leave home for their shift each day wondering whether they will be attacked just for doing their job. That’s the appalling reality for our members though, as is borne out in MOJ statistics which show a 10% rise in assaults on staff from 2022-2023, with over 8500 staff attacked in the course of their duties.  That’s just the stats for England and Wales, but we know the situation in Scotland is equally alarming.

“Our Regional Secretary in Scotland Steve Farrell’s warning that prison officers could lose their lives if the current situation persists is a message that governments across the UK should heed. And of course, it’s a warning that comes with an awful precedent within the justice and custodial. The death of our colleague Lorraine Barwell, who succumbed to injuries sustained during a vicious assault by a prisoner in 2015, still casts a long and tragic shadow over our workplaces. That is why we will continue to call for safety at work for our members as a priority – we owe that much to Lorraine’s memory.”

At our 2024 Biennial Delegate Conference, Community members and the union’s National Executive voted in support of a motion to:

• Lobby government to develop a clear plan that reduces assaults on staff, including changes which act as a strong deterrent and that mean assaulting staff leads to tough responses.
• Work collaboratively with private employers to improve health and safety within workplaces and put in place strong support mechanisms for staff impacted by assaults and violence – such as mental health provision for officers who have experienced traumatising events and proper physical healthcare.
• Advocate broader policy solutions set out in Community’s joint report, addressing the issue of violence against staff in addition to wider issues which are demonstrated to be interconnected.
• Lobby government to recognise recruitment and retention as a principal challenge facing the justice sector and one which is intrinsically linked with wider systemic issues and introduce policies that address this crisis – including retention payments, improved pay and conditions, career path and progression opportunities for private sector staff, and standardising mental health training for all staff.
• Campaign for MPs to support the policy recommendations outlined in the Beyond Bars report

You can read more on our Beyond Bars report here.

Join the union for prison workers today

Community is proud to fight for prison officers across the UK. Whether you work in a private prison, youth offender institutions or across the wider justice, immigration and custodial sector, we’re fighting for you, and we want you to join us.

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If you are a member of Community and need advice or support, please contact our Service Centre at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.