Latest news with #PrisonOfficers'Association
Glasgow Times
11-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
Here's what Scotland's jail staff says about overcrowding
The Prison Officers' Association published a survey with the views of more than 400 members. In it, they warned that the system is on the verge of collapse as there is not enough staff, training opportunities and space in Scottish jails. When asked, 95.5% of respondents agreed that rising prisoner numbers make the facilities more dangerous for staff and residents. 86.6% stated that due to the overcrowding, there is more sickness and absence among workers. Also, 80.21% said there are not enough employees to cope with the volume of inmates. READ NEXT: 'Battle' against drug-smuggling drones wages on at Glasgow's Barlinnie Inside Barlinnie as inspectors give verdict on notorious jail Here's what Scotland's jail staff says about overcrowding (Image: Newsquest) Barlinnie, Glasgow (Image: Colin Mearns) One responder suggested: 'Do not house prisoners like battery hens.' Another said: "Increase prison spaces by physically building more spaces.' A third wrote: 'Scotland must critically examine the root causes of its high crime rates and explore how community-based initiatives can create a safer, more equitable society.' A fourth added: 'There are not enough public mental health facilities, especially for women. People are being sent to prison as a place of safety due to their mental health. "This is not an acceptable practice' A fifth commented: 'Staff recruitment needs to be scrutinised and those currently in a position need to be held accountable for the poor choices being made when recruiting." Several participants noted that the retirement age should be lowered from the current 68 to 60, in line with other emergency services. Some argued that the stress of the job is reducing employees' life expectancy. Many responses also highlighted that the justice system needs to explore community-based disposals as an alternative to short-term sentences. (Image: Colin Mearns) HMP Glasgow plan (Image: SPS) In a recent report, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons in Scotland concluded that overcrowding is Barlinnie's main issue. During 2023/24, the average annual population was 1367, despite having been designed to house 987 men. Its larger replacement, HMP Glasgow, is currently under construction and is expected to be operational by 2028. A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: 'Our staff are our greatest asset. Every day, prison officers do outstanding work in the most challenging circumstances, and it is crucial that their voice is heard. 'This important report demonstrates the risk they face from a rising and complex prison population, the impact this has on their health and wellbeing and on their ability to do their jobs effectively. 'We need to see a reduction in our population, so that our staff can fully support people in our care, to reduce their risk of reoffending, and help build the safer communities we all want to see.' The Scottish Government was approached for comment.
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Scotland's jails at 'breaking point' as prison officers demand urgent action on overcrowding
Scotland's jails are at 'breaking point' as prison officers today demand urgent action on 'dangerous' levels of overcrowding. A damning new report from the prison warder's union has laid bare staff fears after jail numbers reached record levels. Almost all prison officers (over 95%) say rising prisoner numbers make our jails more dangerous - while more than 80% say their prison can no longer cope. Scotland has one of the highest incarceration rates in Europe, with 8,110 people behind bars in the prison estate this week. Phil Fairlie, Assistant Secretary of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), which has around 4,000 members across the country, said: 'This report is the clearest evidence from our members on the frontline that Scotland's prisons are at breaking point. 'It is POA members who are expected to work in this pressure cooker atmosphere every single day. They are doing a remarkable job in incredibly challenging circumstances, but without the correct support and additional staffing something has to give, they are not superhuman and it will take its toll eventually. 'The Prison Officers' Association will be sending a copy of this report to every MSP, MP, The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service. We are urging those in positions of power and influence to listen to our members and take immediate action to end the overcrowding crisis.' Hundreds of Scottish prisoners were released early in recent months in a bid to ease the pressure on packed jails after the population hit a peak of 8,361 in May last year. The problem has been linked to longer sentences being imposed by the courts, a rise in domestic abuse and sex crimes and convictions for historic sexual abuse. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill was passed under emergency procedures last year, allowing short-term inmates serving less than four years were set free after serving 40% of their sentence as opposed to the previous 50%. But the POA report, which surveyed more than 500 prison officers, shows more than 68% of staff think current levels of overcrowding are the worst they have seen in their career. When asked about the steps being taken to accommodate increasing prisoner numbers, more than 55% of prison officers said prisoners not ready for release are being freed early. More than 91% said overcrowding increases tensions in Scotland's prisons, leaving prisoners locked up in their cells for longer and reducing prisoner access to exercise and fresh air. They said it provided fewer opportunities to engage in education or rehabilitation projects, while stoking rising levels of substance misuse and resulting in more incidents of violence against staff and prisoners. More than 86% of warders said the prisoner levels were contributing to rising sickness absence levels in staff and more than 94% said it current conditions meant they would be unable to work until their normal pension age of 68. In February, the Governor of Scotland's biggest jail, Barlinnie admitted he would 'struggle' to survive life inside the overcrowded prison he manages, describing it as a 'pressure cooker'. In April, inspectors described parts of the prison as being in a 'wretchedly poor state' while operating at 30% over capacity. HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) 'strongly urged' the Scottish government to tackle overcrowding as a priority. The Scottish government has committed to building a new prison to replace Barlinnie on the outskirts of the city. It is due to be completed in 2028 at a cost nearly near £1bn. One unnamed prison officer said: "Too many prisoners are caught in a revolving door. They're out one week and back the next. "Prison has become a warehousing business where slogans about changing lives are ironic because the horrors caused by conditions of overcrowding do change lives - for the worse.' POA chiefs were set to hold crunch talks with MSPs on the report at a meeting at the Scottish Parliament today. Mr Fairlie said: 'We need urgent action to address the overcrowding crisis and we welcome the Prisoner Early Release Bill as an early step. But until these measures are having a meaningful long term impact, we need more staff, an improved estate, and a recognition that our Prison Officers are not superhuman and able to work under such conditions until they are almost 70.' A Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman said: 'Our staff are our greatest asset. Every day, prison officers do outstanding work in the most challenging circumstances, and it is crucial that their voice is heard. 'This important report demonstrates the risk they face from a rising and complex prison population, the impact this has on their health and wellbeing and on their ability to do their jobs effectively. 'We need to see a reduction in our population, so that our staff can fully support people in our care, to reduce their risk of reoffending, and help build the safer communities we all want to see.' Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: 'Like the rest of the UK, Scotland's prison population has risen significantly in recent times and has become increasingly complex. We have taken a number of actions to address this and to support the dedicated staff who do outstanding work in our prisons day in, day out. I am grateful for their commitment and dedication. 'We continue to work with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and wider justice system to manage the prison population and have increased investment to the SPS resource budget by 10% to £481.5 million in 2025/26.'
Metro
31-05-2025
- Metro
High-security prison officer stabbed by inmate after 'argument'
A prison officer had to be airlifted to hospital after being stabbed by an inmate. The 25-year-old suffered serious injuries during the stabbing at around 10am on Friday at HMP Long Lartin. He is still in hospital. West Mercia Police were called and they say the suspect, a 22-year-old, is still in custody within the prison. The force has denied an audio recording circulating on social media, claiming to be of the aftermath of the incident, is in fact not connected. They have recovered a weapon as part of the investigation, and it is understood the weapon was smuggled into the prison. Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills said: 'Whilst our investigation is in its early stages, we would like to clarify that this incident is not being treated as terrorism. 'Our initial enquiries suggest there was a disagreement between an inmate and prison officer that escalated and is an isolated matter within the prison. 'The injured prison officer currently remains in hospital in a stable condition, and we are sending him our best wishes for a full and quick recovery.' HMP Long Lartin, in South Littleton, Worcestershire, is both a category A and B prison and can hold more than 600 inmates. A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Long Lartin. 'We will not tolerate assaults on hardworking staff and will always push for the strongest punishments against perpetrators.' The news comes as the chair of the Prison Officers' Association warned it is 'only a matter of time' before a prison officer is murdered by an inmate. More Trending His warning is echoed by a former prison officer at HMP Frankland, who revealed exclusively to Metro that he had boiling urine thrown over him during his time there. New data shows the number of assaults on prison staff in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade. Recent high-profile attacks include Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, who reporeredly injured three HMP Frankland officers by throwing hot cooking oil over them and using 'home made weapons' last month. And earlier this month, Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is accused of throwing boiling water over an officer at HMP Belmarsh. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Peru Two drug mule warns Britons of 'hellish conditions' inside prison MORE: Multiple people seriously injured after car crashes into pedestrians in Leicester MORE: Man arrested after police officer injured when 'car reversed into him'
Metro
31-05-2025
- Metro
UK prison chief calls for US-style 'supermax jails' to protect guards
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It is only a matter of time before a prison officer is murdered by an inmate, the chairman of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) has warned. A prison officer was airlifted to hospital yesterday after being stabbed while on duty at the high security HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire. That attack came days after three prison officers were targeted – including one with boiling water and another left with a bleed on the brain – in 48 hours at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. The number of assaults on staff in adult prisons in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade, new data shows. The figures come after several incidents in prisons have raised concerns over staff safety and the standard of protective equipment at work. Four officers were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12. Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the POA, has now called for those inmates posing the most risk to his staff to be 'totally locked down'. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said jails are 'awash' with 'all kinds of illicit items' – including drugs, phones and weapons – but 'we very rarely lock them down'. Mr Fairhurst said 'now is the time to introduce supermax facilities' like those in the US, 'so people who pose the most risk to staff are totally locked down'. 'It is only a matter of time before one of my colleagues is murdered on duty,' he added. Some 10,605 assaults on staff in male and female jails were recorded in 2024, up from 9,204 in 2023 and nearly three times the 3,640 in 2014. The rate of assaults on staff stood at 122 per 1,000 prisoners last year, up from 108 in 2023 and 43 a decade earlier. Mr Fairhurst linked the violence inside prisons to the amount of contraband being smuggled in from the outside using drones. 'We need to secure the airspace above our prisons,' he said. 'Why are our airspaces not tightened? Why do we have ingress of drones in our prisons? Surely there must be technology out there that prevents drones entering airspaces.' More Trending Metro has contacted the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) for comment. A spokesperson told the BBC that attacks on prison staff are 'unacceptable' and will not be tolerated. They said the MoJ was 'gripping the situation by investing in prison maintenance and security, working with the police and others to tackle serious organised crime'. A spokesman said earlier this month they are 'also bolstering security to stop more contraband entering jails'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Peru Two drug mule warns Britons of 'hellish conditions' inside prison MORE: Multiple people seriously injured after car crashes into pedestrians MORE: Man arrested after police officer injured when 'car reversed into him'
Spectator
21-05-2025
- Spectator
Can anything solve Britain's prisons crisis?
While we were inspecting HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey, a commotion broke out on one of the wings. 'What's up?' one of my team asked the nearest prison officer. 'Bloke who's getting out tomorrow has just been told he's being shipped to Rochester jail.' The man was manhandled towards a prison van. 'If I was him, I'd kick off too,' the officer added quietly. That week things were so desperate in the south of England that the prisoner was being forced to spend one night in a jail 20 miles away so that new arrivals could be squeezed in that afternoon. Jails were 99 per cent full and governors were under instructions to make every possible place available. This is the context in which the former justice secretary David Gauke publishes his report on sentencing this week. Ministers hope he will find a way to reduce the prison population from current historic highs. That would give the most overcrowded jails, such as Elmley, Leeds and Bristol, breathing space to deal with the other problems they face. Recently published statistics showed a 13 per cent increase in assaults on staff and seven murders in the past year. Self-harm among prisoners has reached a new high – particularly in women's prisons. Ever-increasing levels of violence and recent high-profile assaults by notable prisoners at Frankland and Belmarsh have led ministers to announce that some prison officers will soon be issued with Tasers. In the three public-sector young offender institutions, consistently the most violent prisons in the country, the use of pepper spray on children has been authorised. The government has also commissioned a review into the use of body armour following pressure from the Prison Officers' Association. At HM Inspectorate of Prisons, we continue to report that many prisoners are locked in their cells for up to 22 hours a day.
