POA Press Releases

POA Call for Cessation of PFI Prisons

The POA have called for the prisons built under the Private Finance Initiative to be halted and a real public debate to commence regarding how sentencing and rehabilitation is dealt with.

Colin Moses, National Chairman stated:

“At a time when the fiscal deficit is running at £156billion and the coalition Government is looking at ways to save money, it is crazy to sanction these PFI prisons which will ultimately cost the tax payer more money in the long run.  By stopping these prisons being built and reinvesting that money into rehabilitating prisoners, which my members are struggling to achieve against the back drop of budget cuts, is surely the way forward to protect the public”.

Hundreds of millions of pounds are to be spent on a variety of sites including Runwell in Essex, where planning permission has been applied for allowing the private sector to build and run with 30-year contracts.

Steve Gillan, General Secretary stated:

“All previous evidence suggests that where Prison Officers have led offending behaviour programmes, they have been successful.

“Unfortunately over the years, this has ceased because of budget cuts and short term prisoners are not getting on courses which in turn, leads to reoffending which as the National Audit Office has identified, cost the tax payer between £7billion and £10billion.  If the Government are serious about reducing reoffending, give Prison Officers the resources to do the job and they will deliver which in turn will protect the public”.

The POA are not convinced that releasing prisoners early nor an escalation of community sentencing is the answer until evidence is taken on the Government’s sentencing review and rehabilitation reform.
 

END.

For further information contact:

Colin Moses – National Chairman            Mobile 07971 839602
Steve Gillan – General Secretary                Mobile 07971 838590
Tom Robson – National Vice Chairman            Mobile 07710 377097
Steve Bostock – National Vice Chairman            Mobile 07970 459909
Mark Freeman – Deputy General Secretary        Mobile 07971 663835
Pete Chapple – Finance Officer                Mobile 07973 248339
Glyn Travis - Press Officer                    Mobile 07968 324045
POA Press Office                        020 8803 0255 Option 7

back