News Room

The Prison Officers Association have today urged Directors in the Youth Custody Service to suspend all face-to-face education provision with immediate effect until January 6th.

I would like to remind you about the following which I first advised you about in POA Circular 165/2020, on behalf of the POA National Executive Committee I have been in discussions with Professor Nick Hardwick the former Chief Inspector of Prisons and his colleagues from the University.

Please find attached NEC minutes for the 9th and 11th December 2020, for your information.

It is with regret and sadness that I write to inform you that Officer Wynne Gibbs has passed away. Wynne was diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID 19). Sadly, Wynne’s condition suddenly deteriorated and he passed away at his home on Sunday 20th December 2020. The coroner will need to formally confirm cause of death.

For your information HMPPS have forwarded the following briefing to all Prisons in England and Wales.

Over the weekend great swathes of the population have been placed into Tier 4 with clear advice from Government regarding the clinically extremely vulnerable, that this group is advised to stay at home at all times, unless for exercise or medical appointments, and not to attend work, even if they are unable to work from home. The group list of extremely vulnerable has been updated on the www.gov.uk website.

Over the last 12 months we have been working on evolving our systems as directed by annual conference and indeed the Cuffe report. 

It is with deep regret that I inform you of the sad death of Geoff Burrows after a brave fight against illness. Sadly, Geoff died on Saturday 19th December 2020.

The POA are pleased to confirm that a recognition agreement has been signed giving the POA full recognition rights for a number of staff grades within the Mitie Care and Custody in Country Escorting Operational Control Centre based near Craigavon, Northern Ireland.

Following on from circular 29 sent on the 14^th December we wanted to update you regarding the C&R part.