Press Releases

The Prison Officers' Association (POA) today thanked the outgoing Prisons Minister, Lord Timpson, for the constructive engagement he showed with the union during his time in office, while calling on the Government to seize the opportunity presented by his departure to finally deliver workplace justice and dignity for Prison Officers.

Responding to the Lord Chancellor David Lammy’s announcement of an independent review of Prisons, to be chaired by former Home Secretary Amber Rudd, the POA leadership have reacted with bewilderment.

The Leader of the Union representing the UK's 35,000 Prison Officers has called for "urgent action and investment" to address the crisis in the UK's Prisons and stem the rising tide of violence faced by his members.

The Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, has announced that he is investing an extra £35m to fund tougher physical barriers to prevent the conveyance of illicit items by drones in 17 of our most at-risk Prisons.

A report by an influential House of Commons committee into “Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation” in Wales must result in its recommendations being implemented and cannot be allowed to sit on a shelf collecting dust, the Union representing the UK’s Prison Officers has said. 

Buckinghamshire Prison, HMP Woodhill is still "unsafe, violent, dilapidated with drugs easily available," and some of the conditions were found by Prison Inspectors to be worse than at the time of the last inspection in 2023. 

In his closing address to the POA Conference, General Secretary Steve Gillan has challenged the Labour Government, whoever is in charge, to demonstrate once and for all that they are on the side of Prison Officers and working class communities.

The Leaders of the Prison Officer’s Union have slammed UK Government Ministers accusing them of nauseating hypocrisy following the announcement by The Prison Service Pay Review Body that Prison staff will receive a 3.5% pay increase for the coming year.

The Leaders of the Prison Officer’s Union have slammed UK Government Ministers accusing them of nauseating hypocrisy following the announcement by The Prison Service Pay Review Body that Prison staff will receive a 3.5% pay increase for the coming year.

The ban on Prison Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland being able to take industrial action is a breach of their human rights, an influential European Committee has found.