Pay review for prisoners stretched by prices

A PAY RISE is being considered for prisoners after jail watchdogs warned inflation has left them struggling to afford canteen products and calls home.

The Prison Service is reviewing wage rates in prison workshops, wing jobs and education courses, with the outcome expected by the summer. Any increase in pay could benefit 70,000 men and women in public sector prisons in England and Wales.

The move was revealed by Amy Rees, the director general of HM Prison and Probation Service, who told the prison newspaper Inside Time: “We are reviewing wages, but there are no promises about what that review might lead to. It has to be fair, it has to be affordable, but we are looking at that issue at the moment.” She said that while she could not guarantee higher pay, “we are certainly not looking to decrease wages”.

Ms Rees acknowledged the problem of rising canteen prices, saying: “Upwards inflationary pressure has impacted absolutely everyone.”

The HM Inspectorate of Prisons has raised concerns that canteen prices are rising while prison wages have not increased for as much as a decade.

The Independent Monitoring Boards found that at one prison canteen prices rose by 15 per cent in the year to June 2023, while wages were frozen.

Governors allocate money for wages under a funding formula that also covers the costs of prisoners’ meals and clothes. In 2021-22, governors received between £1,500 and £1,900 per prisoner per year. As an example, Coldingley prison, in Surrey, pays working prisoners between £9 and £25 per week, depending on what job they do, with £4.50 a week for those willing to work but not allocated jobs, and £7.20 a week for the over-65s or long-term sick.

Canteen prices are set nationally for all public sector prisons in England and Wales by the contractor, DHL, in partnership with HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

Contract rules say prices must not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended retail price, should not exploit prisoners, and should be in line with local convenience stores.

Ms Rees, however, admitted canteen prices will always be higher than at supermarkets. “When I speak to prisoners, I’m often asked why we can’t match what’s in Tesco or Lidl. We’ll never be able to do that, because we don’t have the same buying power. We just don’t buy in the same level of bulk as those stores do,” she said.