Prison officers in young offender institutions (YOIs) will start using synthetic pepper spray from this summer in a bid to combat rising violence from inmates, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced.
The move comes after new figures released by the MoJ on Thursday showed rates of assaults on staff in the estate were 14 times higher than at adult prisons.
Pava spray, which is an incapacitant, will be made available “in limited circumstances” to a select number of specialist staff at the three public sector YOIs holding under-18s – YOI Werrington, Wetherby and Feltham A, the MoJ said.
They will receive a “really high level” of training and there will be “a very clear, high threshold” for when the spray should be used, a senior youth custody source said.
It is already used by police officers in the community and by guards at adult prisons.
The spray will be rolled out for an initial 12 months before it is reviewed by ministers, while each use of the spray will be reviewed by an independent panel.
Recent incidents in YOIs have seen staff suffer fractures, dislocations and puncture wounds as they tried to contain them, the MoJ said.
Inmates have been using “everyday pieces of plastic” as weapons, such as cutlery and screws taken out of furniture, a senior youth custody source said.
In one incident, a female staff member resorted to “using her body as a human shield” to protect an inmate being targeted in a group attack in the courtyard, a separate senior source said.
The rate of assault incidents on staff last year was 170.0 per 100 children and young people at Feltham, 182.9 per 100 at Werrington, and 167.4 per 100 at Wetherby, Ministry of Justice figures show.
The rates are around 14 times the equivalent figure in adult prisons in England and Wales, which was 12.2 per 100.
Across the whole of the children and young persons secure estate, which includes all young offender institutions as well as other establishments such as secure children’s homes, the rate of assaults on staff was 183.6 per 100, down slightly from 187.2 in 2023.
Justice minister Sir Nic Dakin said: “This government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis. The unacceptable levels of violence faced by our brave frontline officers in young offender institutions is yet another symptom of that.
“This is not a decision we have made lightly, but our overarching duty is to keep staff and young people in custody safe. This spray is a vital tool to prevent serious violence, helping staff to focus on rehabilitation as part of our Plan for Change.”
A charity condemned the introduction of Pava into YOIs as “a serious escalation in the use of force that is permitted against children”, saying the spray can cause severe pain.
Andrea Coomber KC, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the group would consider taking legal action to challenge the decision.
She said: “There is too much violence in prisons holding children, but this is a direct consequence of a failing system that keeps boys as young as 15 locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day without meaningful access to education or social interaction.
“It reflects a profound failure on the part of those responsible for children in custody that they would consider introducing weapons in the name of safety.
“Instead of arming staff, the way to reduce violence is to close failing young offender institutions and ensure that children are accommodated in more appropriate settings – such as secure children’s homes – where they can be given the care and support they need.
“Prison is no place for a child.”
The move was welcomed by union bosses who lobbied for the change after a rise in violence against staff.
Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) said: “Young offenders institutions can be a very challenging environment for our members to work in.
“Prison officers must be given the right PPE to protect themselves and prisoners from violence. This is a step in the right direction.”
The announcement comes after several high-profile incidents raised concerns about the levels of protection for officers in adult prisons.
Four guards were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in County Durham earlier in April, with the inmate subsequently transferred to Belmarsh after the incident.
Convicted killer John Mansfield was found dead after suffering a head injury at HMP Whitemoor on April 13, with another inmate arrested on suspicion of his murder.
Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the use of Tasers would be trialled in prisons and confirmed the prison service would conduct a “snap review” of the use of protective body armour for prison officers.
