Prison officer stresses and shortages – MPs investigate
The Justice Committee is continuing its inquiry into the prison workforce by hearing from the Chief Inspector of Prisons and the National Chair of the Independent Monitoring Boards, a nationwide body which monitors the treatment of detainees.
The session will seek to explore the reasons for staff shortages and a high turnover of prison officers – and how these already serious shortcomings could be impacted by an expected increase in the number of prisoners from around 80,000 now to nearly 100,000 by 2026.
Prison officer shortages mean that prisoners are locked in their cells for long periods, preventing them from attending rehabilitative activities such as employment, education or mental wellbeing improvement classes.
A recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons said prison officers complained that their work had become “monotonous and unfulfilling, consisting largely of unlocking doors and chivvying small numbers of prisoners into the exercise yard, the showers, the servery, and then back into their cells, before opening up the next group”.
Successive reports by the inspectorate have found that staff shortages have made it difficult for officers to have meaningful – and potentially rehabilitative - relationships with prisoners.
Likely areas of questioning
The Chief Inspector and the National Chair of the Independent Monitoring Boards will be questioned on the adequacy of existing recruitment processes, the key factors behind high levels of staff attrition and the impact of staff shortages on the ability of prisons to operate effectively and safely.
The Committee recently undertook a survey of prison officers and has had over 6,500 responses. The Committee will seek to discuss with the witnesses some of the findings of that survey which covered issues including staff morale, bullying and harassment, and terms and conditions of employment.