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Press releasesREF: PR/37/07 DATE: 2nd July 2007 To: ALL POLITICAL PRESS RELEASE Problems Mount for New Home SecretaryWith the ink not even dry on her appointment letter Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary is facing fresh criticism from members within her Constituency. The Prison Service put forward proposals in 2006 to cluster Hewell Grange, Brockhill and Blakenhurst, three prisons in the Constituency of Jacqui Smith the new Home Secretary. These prisons amount to the largest employer in the Home Secretary’s Constituency. Leaders of the POA have expressed their disappointment at the apparent lack of interest from Jacqui Smith following this proposal, considering that this policy may well lead to redundancies in these prisons. This, at a time when we have the most overcrowded prisons in Western Europe. Colin Moses National Chairman of the POA said: “I have visited the prisons and spoke to the staff, morale is very low and they feel let down because they believe there has not been any interest shown by their local MP and now Home Secretary. We would hope that Jacqui Smith makes time to visit these prisons even in light of her heavy schedule. It is important that she speaks to her Constituent members and outlines the vital role that prisons play in the Criminal Justice System and reassures the staff that she does care and is aware of the proposals which could have a significant impact on them”. An invitation is to be extended to Jacqui Smith to visit the prisons at a less demanding time.
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