Prison officers strike

31 August 2007

More pay and keep your promises, say prison officers to the government.

Prison officers went on strike for several hours as they demanded better working conditions and higher salaries. With current prison populations at over 80 000, prison workers feel they are over-worked and under paid, resulting in low morale. 

Section Commander for East Bournemouth Police Inspector Mark Kelly feels that the current prison population is only going to rise. He said that more prison places and more staff who are better paid are needed to take on the full burden of convicted criminals.

The majority of offenders in jail have committed drug-related offences. In the past decade, drug-related offences have increased by 111%, says the Home Office. Human rights lawyer Simon Hughes feels the way to lower the prison population is to put problematic drug users in rehabilitation.

A spokesperson for the drug charity Transform said: The only thing law enforcement and the Home Office is interested in is reduction of property crime. They’ll do whatever they think is necessary, which includes imprisoning addicts.”

It is the first time a strike has been held by prison officers.