Prisons: Crimes against the Person

(asked on 3rd February 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a zero-tolerance policy in relation to (a) violence and (b) abuse against prison staff.


Answered by
Lucy Frazer Portrait
Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This question was answered on 6th February 2020

Violence against our hardworking staff is completely unacceptable and will never be tolerated, which is why we have doubled the prison sentence for anyone who assaults prison officers. We are working closely with the CPS to ensure the successful prosecutions of prisoners who assault staff along with the strongest possible punishment being imposed.

We are rolling out prison officers body worn cameras, police-style restraints and PAVA incapacitant spray to prison officers to help them do their job more safely.

More widely, we are spending £100 million to bolster prison security, clamping down on the weapons, drugs and mobile phones that fuel violence and crime behind bars. This will fund tough airport-style security, body scanners and phone-blocking technology.

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