Prison Officers Association - North of the Border

UPDATE: POA'S REPLY TO THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE JUSTICE SELECT COMMITTEE'S REPORT

The POA are pleased that the Government welcomed the Justice Select Committee Report: Role of the Prison Officer but is disappointed that they have not accepted more of the report and recommendations:

POA WELCOMES REPORT ON ROLE OF A PRISON OFFICER

Leaders of the POA have welcomed the report by the Justice Committee into the Role of a Prison Officer.

Justice Committee Chairman, Sir Alan Beith said “Prison Officers are undervalued and their contribution to making ex-prisoners less likely to commit crimes is constantly undermined”.

The Committee also recognises the damaging effects the £900 million savings required by 2011 in the MOJ, will have on addressing re-offending in the long term.

The Committee identified a number of other areas of concern, such as training, officer to prisoner ratios and Workforce Modernisation all of which will lead to the de-skilling of prison officers.

Colin Moses National Chairman of the POA said:

“The POA welcome the report. The POA have been highlighting many of the areas set out in this report to the Government for years, but unfortunately, no one would listen.

“The provision of training for new prison officers and existing officers has been pushed to the bottom of the agenda by this Government instead the Government has wasted money on the bureaucracy of NOMS. Training for Prison Officers is inadequate today and should be put to the top of the agenda.

“In respect of the cost of running a safe and decent public sector prison service, my Union has always accepted the need for change to provide best value for the taxpayer. However, we do not accept the significant increase in the cost of bureaucracy. Massive savings can be made if NOMS was dismantled and a root and branch review of the management structure and cost takes place.

“Local POA officials have engaged in efficiency savings year on year for more than 10 years, but we have been cut to the bone and there is no more to give”.

Brian Caton General Secretary of the POA said:

“I am pleased the report identifies the problems in dealing with and caring for prisoners with unaddressed mental health, drug and alcohol problems, something the POA has actively been seeking to change during the last 10 years.

“The report identifies the problems of training, overcrowding, staff shortages again problems the POA has been identifying on a daily basis.

“The POA has always said well trained, well resourced and well paid frontline staff is the only way to reducing and addressing offending behaviour, but management have protected their own positions and cut staff to what can only be described as dangerously low.

“Finally I have to totally agree with the Committee’s view that Prison Officers have a core contribution to make to the rehabilitation of offenders”.

Colin Moses further commented:

“Finally the POA urge the Government, Treasury and Prison Service to take note of the report and put in place sustainable safe systems to deliver a public prison system that helps offenders lead law abiding lives”.

Prison Reform Trust - Prison Reform Trust response to Justice Committee's 'Prison officer role' report:

Commenting on the Justice Select Committee’s ‘Role of the Prison Officer’ report, Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

“Prison officers are our least visible and most neglected public servants so this detailed report on their role is welcome and deserves serious consideration.

“This report makes it clear we have a choice: we can carry on doing what we’re doing, asking prison officers to do more with less, despite knowing that will not cut unacceptable re-offending rates, or we can treat them as more than turnkeys and enable them to do the job most joined up to do, providing a humane, safe environment which protects the public by rehabilitating offenders.

“In what other profession would six weeks training, and minimal supervision, be seen as adequate to prepare and support staff in our bleakest institutions to work with some of our most vulnerable and challenging men, women and children?

“The role of the prison officer will continue to be undervalued and undermined until and unless ministers stop building and start thinking, reserve prison for serious and violent offenders only and call on other public services to deal with petty offenders, addicts, homeless people and those who are mentally ill or have a learning disability.”