Hopes of resolving the prisons crisis in England and Wales have risen after the Ministry of Justice and the prison officers’ union reached a deal on improved pay and pensions.
The proposed package, which will be subject to a staff ballot, includes a £1,000 “retention and recognition” package for each officer, a reduction of up to three years in their retirement age to 65, and annual pay rises on top of performance-related pay increases for the next three years.
The justice ministry said the package had been on the table since before the Prison Officers’ Association staged protests outside prisons across England and Wales last month over health and safety concerns. The protests, which were later halted by a high court injunction, followed a series of incidents behind bars including a murder at Pentonville and a rising tide of violence and suicides among inmates.
The justice secretary, Liz Truss, said the proposed agreement would pave the way for delivery of major reforms to the prison system.
“The agreement represents a good offer which rightly recognises the hard work and dedication of officers across the country doing a tough job. I am pleased the POA’s leadership has endorsed the package, which forms part of a wider drive to improve training and promotion prospects for staff,” Truss said.
She said she wanted to make sure prison officers were properly recognised and rewarded for the challenging work they did. “If accepted by members, this is a deal which will benefit thousands of prison officers who I hugely respect and for whom I want to see safe working conditions.”
The deal includes a proposal for consolidated pay rises of 0.5% and 1% for each of the next three years for uniformed staff, on top of usual performance-related pay rises. A further 0.5% unconsolidated payment next year will be made for staff in “closed” conditions.
The reduction in the retirement age to 65 will be at no cost to staff and with full pension benefits. The £1,000 recognition and retention package will be spread over two years.
The government has already announced a plan to recruit 2,500 extra prison officers over the next two years. A £4,000-a-year extra payment is also being made at some prisons in the most difficult recruitment areas or with the highest levels of staff turnover.
