Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the average number of years of experience of serving prison officers.

As at 31^st March 2021 the average length of service, in years, held by all prison officers is given in the following table.

Table 1 – Band 3-5 Prison Officers¹ in England and Wales average length of service², as at 31^st March 2021

Notes to tables:

1. Band 3-5 Officers includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl. specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.

2. The length of service in HMPPS is calculated from most recent hire date. Where staff have transferred in from another Government Department or have transferred in through HMPPS taking over a function, length of service is calculated from entry to HMPPS.

Having experienced staff is vital to ensuring prisons remain safe, secure and decent. That’s why we are investing £100m to improve safety and security in prisons, clamping down on the weapons, drugs and mobile phones that fuel violence. This includes tough measures such as X-ray body scanners and phone blocking technology. Body-worn cameras and PAVA spray are being rolled out across the estate, alongside SPEAR personal safety training, to make officers’ work safer. A retention working group including representation from HR and Psychology has been established to tackle both the national and local drivers of attrition, and each prison is being provided with a comprehensive report highlighting the reasons for high turnover, and additional support is then provided.