Community calls for more staff to receive Coronation Medal

Community is calling on the government to award the Coronation Medal to all prison custody officers.

Adrian Axtell, Community’s National Officer for the Justice and Custodial Sector, made the call in a letter to Lucy Frazer, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport:

Firstly, I wanted to congratulate everyone involved in making the Coronation of King Charles III such a momentous weekend.

The Coronation Medal is an historic and important recognition of public service by the Armed Forces and emergency services workers. It is these workers that are part of the bedrock of our society and are rightly recognised by this award.

The inclusion of prison officers is rightly essential to this. However, our hardworking members who have served for five years as prison officers were dismayed to understand they will not be receiving this award.

Our members work across the private prison estate, but no less on the frontline in keeping the public and our country safe, and should therefore be similarly awarded with the Coronation Medal.

I urge you to reconsider this decision and award all prison officers, serving the same duties, with this important and deserving medal.

I look forward to receiving your response.

Not a member? Join today!

Community is the union for justice and custodial workers, representing thousands of members in the sector across UK prisons, detention centres, immigration centres and more.

We’re proud to secure better pay and conditions for our members. Click here to find out more about our member-exclusive benefits and join today.

Join Community

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