Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of prison officers.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continues to recruit across all prisons where vacancies exist or are anticipated, including those undergoing expansion.

Recruitment processes are being strengthened to ensure candidates have the skills and attributes required for the Prison Officer role, aligned to the Enable Programme. Assessment tools are designed, wherever possible, to provide a realistic job preview and to filter out unsuitable applicants early, allowing the strongest candidates to progress.

A range of national and local interventions support recruitment, including the Advance into Justice (AiJ) scheme for Armed Forces leavers and veterans, and initiatives such as the Prison Officer Alumni Network and National Returners Scheme, which encourage former officers to re-join the service.

The ‘Extraordinary Jobs’ campaign aims to increase awareness of Prison Officer roles, challenge misconceptions, and highlight the positive impact of the work, encouraging more applications.

Prisons are also supported to improve onboarding by taking greater ownership of applicant pipelines, including offering local familiarisation visits prior to start dates.

HMPPS is taking a comprehensive approach to retention across both Prison and Probation Services. A new employee experience and retention framework is due later in 2026, supported by a retention toolkit based on analysis of attrition drivers. This enables targeted interventions at local, regional and national levels.

Structured exit interviews and a retention oversight process identify issues at high-attrition sites, with deep dives led by occupational psychologists. National activity is coordinated through the Retention Delivery Committee to ensure alignment and minimise operational disruption.