The National Chairman

February 2007

DANGEROUS SQUARE PEGS IN UNDERSTAFFED ROUND HOLES

As we are aware, the Prison Service in England and Wales is currently holding record numbers of prisoners and are playing with everyone’s safety in an attempt to juggle the figures.

This has brought about a close examination of the classification of prisoners, which has revealed the speed at which dangerous prisoner’s are put through the system from Cat B, to Cat C to Cat D open conditions. As a result of the process the staff and general public are at risk.

The Prison Service in England and Wales are attempting to defend their classification changes by saying they have had fewer absconds from open conditions.

Colin Moses National Chairman

But at what cost in real terms? What type of prisoner is absconding or escaping? Can the service prevent this? Yes.

The distortion of the figures fails to reveal the underlying problems because we know that too many dangerous prisoners are being reclassified far too early into Category C and more so Category D establishments.

The safety of both our members and the public in general is paramount and we will not allow this madness to go unchallenged. The POA had no option but to go public as a result of the stone wall attitude of the Prison Service. We sent out a number of press releases and briefings to politicians which led to an "early day motion" and full debate on Ford open prison in Parliament.

The Prison Service Board has accused us of undermining the public sector Prison Service, AN ACCUSATION WE STRONGLY REFUTE.

The safety of both our members and the public in general is paramount and we will not allow this madness to go unchallenged.

The POA had no option but to go public as a result of the stone wall attitude of the Prison Service. We sent out a number of press releases and briefings to politicians which led to an “early day motion” and full debate on Ford open prison in Parliament.

We fully recognise the vital role open prisons play in addressing offending behaviour and preparing prisoners for release, a role that is also carried out in all establishments. However, we know that if prisoners are forced through the system the process will fail.

The POA is not alone in holding this view.

It must be remembered that this is the same Prison Service Board that put forward a pay submission to the Prison Service Pay Review Body of 0% for 48% of uniformed staff.

This is the same Prison Service board that have continually failed to attain the correct funding to run safe and effective, correctly staffed prisons. A department that pays contract supplementary hours (CSH) to staff, abuses the use of TOIL, etc. all in an attempt to run underresoursed prisons, why, because, they will not stand up for their staff.

The role of the POA is to protect and promote the members; the NEC will always fulfil this role to the best of their ability. The actions of the Prison Service by pushing dangerous and violent prisoners through the system are causing the NEC serious concerns and we will react as necessary.

The Prisons Board appears comfortable running the Service in a cavalier fashion for personal attainment, when we really need strong and effective leadership, with the will to address the current dangerous inefficiencies of our classification system.

The POA will continue to campaign for a root and branch examination of the operation and direction of the current classification system. This will at times draw us into conflict with the Prisons Board. A Prisons Board that is attempting to gag this Union in regards to making public statements.

If we continue to force dangerous square pegs in to understaffed round holes, the people that will suffer will not be the Prisons Board, but you, the professional men and women of the service and eventually the public.

This is not acceptable and has to be challenged.

Colin Moses
National Chairman

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