Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of prison officer retention.

Despite the efforts of hard-working staff, prisons are in crisis. Band 3-5 Prison Officer leaving rates peaked in 2023 and we are experiencing the impact of that now, with significant numbers of prison officers who have recently been recruited and lack experience. Although leaving rates have now lowered, we must focus our attention on retaining our dedicated staff in order to maintain a sufficiently resourced and skilled workforce to deliver quality outcomes in prisons. It takes time to build confidence, capability and the jailcraft skills that are essential to improve the system, and for prisons to successfully carry out their vital role of protecting the public and reducing reoffending.