Prison Officers: Length of Service
(asked on 8th January 2024) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the cumulative number of years of experience held by prison officers in each year since 2010.
The cumulative length of service, in years, held by all prison officers is given in Table 1 below. Most years’ figures are given as at 31 December each year, aside from 2023, where the latest published figures are as at 30 September 2023.
HMPPS has a strong training offer for new recruits which ensures all officers are equipped to perform their roles safely and securely. Total and average length of service in the workforce will increase as HMPPS’s new recruits from recent years continue in the prison service, who we are seeking to support through a number of programmes aimed at increasing retention.
This includes the introduction of over 150 new colleague mentors to support new staff in their roles, which takes the pressure off both experienced Prison Officers and managers, and, a Career Pathways framework to enable staff to identify their development needs and career aspirations. We are also running supervision pilots in three prisons alongside the introduction of new leadership training, which will contribute to supporting career development and retention of experienced officers.
Table 1 – Band 3-5 Prison Officers1 in England and Wales cumulative length of service2, as at 31 December each year from 2010 to 2022 and 30 September 20233
| Date | Number of Prison officers in post | Cumulative Length of Service of all prison officers |
|
| (Full Time Equivalent) |
| ||
| 31/12/2010 | 24,501 | 329,353 |
|
| 31/12/2011 | 23,051 | 326,480 |
|
| 31/12/2012 | 21,841 | 326,660 |
|
| 31/12/2013 | 18,731 | 287,921 |
|
| 31/12/2014 | 17,795 | 278,254 |
|
| 31/12/2015 | 18,235 | 272,086 |
|
| 31/12/2016 | 17,887 | 261,607 |
|
| 31/12/2017 | 19,925 | 253,665 |
|
| 31/12/2018 | 22,722 | 248,008 |
|
| 31/12/2019 | 22,154 | 246,375 |
|
| 31/12/2020 | 21,564 | 243,036 |
|
| 31/12/2021 | 22,156 | 240,501 |
|
| 31/12/2022 | 21,632 | 227,105 |
|
| 30/09/2023 | 23,058 | 221,755 |
|
Notes to tables: | ||||
Band 3-5 Officers includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl. specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers. 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. The dates reflect the Full Time Equivalent and cumulative years of service at that point of the year. | ||||
Table 2 - Band 3-5 Prison Officers1 in England and Wales cumulative length of service2, as at 30 September 20233 - by length of service band | ||||
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|
|
|
|
Completed years of service | Number of Prison officers in post (FTE) | Cumulative Length of Service of all prison officers ( Years) |
|
|
0-4 | 11,507 | 20,990 |
|
|
5-9 | 5,038 | 33,569 |
|
|
10+ | 6,513 | 167,196 |
|
|
Total | 23,058 | 221,755 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Notes to tables: |
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|
|
|
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. | ||||
3. The dates reflect the Full Time Equivalent and cumulative years of service at that point of the year. | ||||