Latest editorial
A general view of HMP Pentonville, north London
PRISON officers’ union POA demanded a public inquiry to deal with Britain’s jail capacity crisis today.
General secretary Steve Gillan added that Labour should invest in its current prisons and only build new ones after a review of court sentencing.
The prison service says it has fewer than 80,000 safe and decent accommodation prison places in England and Wales.
Our members face serious violence, crumbling workplaces and exposure to dangerous drugs — it is outrageous we still cannot legally use our industrial muscle to fight back and defend ourselves, writes STEVE GILLAN
MARK FAIRHURST highlights the main issues facing officers in a long neglected service, and raised by front-line delegates at POA conference last week, including understaffing, violence, bullying and the ongoing denial of workers’ right to strike