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The National ChairmanAugust 2005 THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES FOR RECOGNITION OF THE PROFESSION WORK DONE BY POA MEMBERS
The failure to mention the Prison Service and its achievements in the Queen's speech in the opening of Parliament is not unusual but the norm. It must be remembered the Queen’s speech to Parliament is prepared by politicians and senior civil servants. The Prison Service, unlike other public sector services, does not have a champion. We often look to the heads of the Prison Service to champion our cause, and follow the example set by Chief Constables who champion the cause for Police Officers. The excuses trotted out time and time again, as to why the example of Chief Constables is not followed, is that the heads of the Prison Service are restricted by their roles as senior civil servants. This is not an adequate defence for failing to fully promote, encourage and promulgate to the media the professional work carried out by prison staff. The recent ILO (International Labour Organisation) ruling noted that the Prison Service is an essential service; this is something that has been denied for many years by our employer and Government. The public perception of prison staff is often generated by lurid stories in tabloid newspapers or depictions in soap operas. We are often referred to as Warders, a term that was discontinued by Government Order in January 1922. We must look for recognition for the work we do today, not depictions of the past. The Prison Service of 2005 is completely different to the Prison Service of 1922. We currently have the largest number of inmates in the history of the service and it is widely accepted that the majority of these are deemed to be suffering from some form of mental illness. This needs to be addressed by the Prison Service, Government and National Health Service. Prisons today reflect the diverse society we live in, a society that generates more violent crime than previously recorded and many of those perpetrators end up in our prisons. One strand of the current negotiations with the Prison Service of England & Wales titled Heads of Agreement is the professional recognition through acknowledged qualifications for POA members. Whilst we are starved of recognition by the Criminal Justice System for the professional work we do, we still struggle to gain public recognition. It is essential that professional recognised training is made available to all POA members to promote the professional recognition that this Service deserves. The three Prison Services in the United Kingdom should work with the POA in promoting a positive message for our work and achievements. The POA recently contributed funds to the Butler Trust to sponsor a forthcoming award. We believe that the work carried out by the Butler Trust is a major factor to promote and reward the professional work performed by prison staff. Long may this continue. The POA's involvement in the Union Learning Fund again facilitates an avenue to ensure that we can continue to promote the professional work of the men and women in the union. Whilst the broader media may not always want to promote the excellent work carried out by prison staff, this must never prevent us from continuing to campaign. We should always seek to involve the local press, radio and media to promote the good work which is delivered in our prisons. If necessary, we should invite representatives of the press into our prison to see the good work we do first hand. The Prison Service must not be the forgotten element of the Criminal Justice System. It must never be forgotten that those who are brought to justice for planning the tragic and horrific terrorist attacks perpetrated on our society in recent times, will ultimately end up in the charge of prison staff. When the wider public’s memories fade to these horrendous acts, the convicted terrorists will be prevented from re-offending by the vigilance and professionalism of prison staff. It is never easy to promote the professional work done by POA members because of the public’s perception of the enclosed world of prisons. However, we should not close our minds that we will never receive good press, but must campaign to change the prejudiced views of our work and achievements.
JUNE 2005: The National Chairman |
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