Staff at riot-hit jails are in line for a £5,000 pay rise: Raises of up to 20% form part of a £12million effort to boost recruitment

  • Justice Secretary Liz Truss announced an immediate salary rise for frontline staff
  • Around 31 jails in London and the South East will benefit following shortfalls
  • New recruits' pay will rise to up to £29,500 – an increase of £5,000

By Mail on Sunday Reporter

Published: | Updated:

Officers at riot-hit prisons are set to get pay rises of up to 20 per cent as part of a £12 million effort to boost recruitment.

Justice Secretary Liz Truss announced an immediate salary rise for frontline staff across 31 jails in London and the South East, including some hit by violence late last year.

It comes amid mounting concern over the state of jails, with figures showing that nearly one in five had significant shortfalls in officer numbers.

Justice Secretary Liz Truss, pictured today on the Andrew Marr Show, has announced an immediate salary rise for frontline staff across 31 jails in London and the South East, including some hit by violence late last year

Justice Secretary Liz Truss, pictured today on the Andrew Marr Show, has announced an immediate salary rise for frontline staff across 31 jails in London and the South East, including some hit by violence late last year

Dwindling staffing levels have been highlighted as assaults, self-harm and suicides soared to record levels, while a spate of major disturbances erupted in some jails (stock image)

Dwindling staffing levels have been highlighted as assaults, self-harm and suicides soared to record levels, while a spate of major disturbances erupted in some jails (stock image)

Dwindling staffing levels have been highlighted as assaults, self-harm and suicides soared to record levels, while a spate of major disturbances erupted in some jails.

New recruits' pay will rise to up to £29,500 – an increase of £5,000 or about 20 per cent. Existing officers will see their salary increase by up to £5,000.

Ms Truss said: 'Prison officers do a challenging and demanding job, day in and day out.

'I want frontline staff to know that their work, experience and loyal service is valued.'

The move comes weeks after the Justice Secretary announced a national recruitment drive to add 2,500 officers.

Outlining her plans on the Andrew Marr Show today, Ms Truss acknowledged that there was a 'very difficult situation in our prisons' but declined to describe it as crisis.

She said: 'I don't believe the people who say that things can't get better or that we need to suddenly release half of all the people in prisons to deal with it.

'We do have a plan, we are recruiting more officers, and for the first time ever – and this is what we are going to be doing in the prisons and courts bill this week – we are going to be saying that the purpose of prisons is, of course, about punishing people but it also has to be about reforming them.'

 

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