Help our jail staff before it’s too late

PEOPLE have mixed feelings about prisoners.

On one hand they have broken the law and they deserve everything they get. But on the other the mark of a civilised society is the way it treats those who have done wrong.

Our jails are in crisis. If they fail their inmates, it means they’re failing us.

They are violent places, awash with drugs and often Victorian conditions. There’s no hope of rehabilitation – just continuation of the cycle of criminality.

One of the key factors in this is the lack of staff. Since 2010, prison officers numbers have been plummeting. This has lots of knock-on effects.

Violence

Cells can no longer be searched properly, so drugs can be hidden. There are not enough people to supervise activities, so prisoners are locked up for long periods. And violence – against staff and fellow inmates – is on the rise.

In our eight highest-security prisons there are more staff than ever with under three years of experience.

Some of our most notorious prisoners are being guarded by young staff fresh to the job.

The levels of violence they encounter are staggering. In some cases too much to take.

The prison officers’ association has a simple warning for the Government: The demands placed on new recruits are too much and more must be done to keep experienced staff.

Let’s hope the Government listens... before it’s too late.