Prison officers at toughest jails to get instant £5,000 pay rise in bid to boost morale and attract staff
The £12million reforms will be unveiled by Justice Secretary Liz Truss in a bid tackle violence in jails
PRISON officers at the toughest jails will get an instant pay rise under a £12million plan to boost morale and attract recruits.
Thousands will get a hike of up to £5,000 a year under a package of reforms to be unveiled by Justice Secretary Liz Truss.
She aims to attract 2,500 extra staff to help tackle soaring levels of violence and drug abuse behind bars.
Ms Truss announced the action in an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday.
She said: “I want frontline staff to know that their work, experience and loyal service is valued. We also want to attract the best new talent into the service and retain the leaders of the future.”
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Front-line staff at 31 jails, including Pentonville, Wormwood Scrubs and Belmarsh, will get a rise of between £3,000 and £5,000.
New recruits will receive higher starting salaries, up to £29,500 and £31,000 in London.
On Thursday figures revealed personnel in key operational roles in public sector prisons in England and Wales fell by more than 300 to 17,888 last year.
A former Tory minister today blames the last three Justice Secretaries for the crisis in jails.
Jonathan Aitken, who served time for perjury and perverting the justice, holds Michael Gove, Chris Grayling and Ken Clarke responsible after they allowed “swingeing and unjustified” cuts to staff numbers.
JUDGE COPS IT
LIZ Truss hit back at the country’s top judge for moaning about flak on his Brexit ruling.
Lord Neuberger oversaw the case that blocked Theresa May’s start to the exit process without a vote by Parliament. He said Ms Truss had failed to defend the judiciary. She said: “My response is it’s vital we have an independent judiciary.”