Justice Secretary Liz Truss to resume talks with prison officers over jail 'meltdown'

Liz Truss: The Justice Secretary is set to resume talks with the prison officers' union
PA
Mark Chandler17 November 2016
WEST END FINAL

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Justice Secretary Liz Truss will resume talks with the prison officers' union after thousands of staff stopped working amid claims the service was "in meltdown".

The National Offender Management Service has contacted the Prison Officers Association to offer a meeting with Ms Truss, scheduled for Thursday.

POA members held protests outside jails around the country on Tuesday after talks with the Government over health and safety concerns broke down.

Officers were ordered back to work after the Government sought an emergency injunction at the High Court.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The Government welcomes the POA's decision to stop yesterday's unlawful industrial action and that prison officers have returned to work.

Strike: Prison guards outside Wandsworth Prison
Reuters/Dylan Martinez

"We are committed to improving safety across the prison estate and are already taking action.

"This includes tackling the use of drugs, mobile phones and drones while recruiting new staff and improving protection for staff.

"The Justice Secretary already met with the POA earlier this month but would not do so again until they called off their unlawful action.

"Now that prison officers are back at work she will meet the POA and invites them to resume talks with her team."

The action by the POA followed a string of high profile incidents at prisons, including an alleged murder, a riot and the escape of two inmates.

There have been a string of warnings about safety behind bars after statistics revealed soaring levels of violence in jails in England and Wales, with assaults on staff up by 43 per cent in the year to June.

Earlier this month Ms Truss unveiled her blueprint for prison reform.

Measures include a recruitment drive to add 2,500 new officers to the front line and "no-fly zones" to stop drones dropping drugs and other contraband into prisons.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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