With a slew of bad headlines about overcrowding and rising violence inside Britain’s prisons over the past couple of years, you could be forgiven for wondering why anyone would consider a career in the nation’s jails.
But many people do find it important and rewarding work. And the latest figures released by the Ministry of Justice show a major recruitment drive is beginning to pay off, with almost 900 new people signing up since the start of the year.
From January 2017 there has been a net increase of 868 new officers joining the prison service. A further 738 job offers have been made to potential recruits expected to start after June next year.
The government says it is now on schedule to meet a target of recruiting 2,500 new officers by 2018.
“I am delighted to welcome the new prison officers who join thousands of dedicated and hard-working staff undertaking important work to keep our prisons and the public safe,” said Justice Secretary David Lidington.
“Boosting the frontline is critical to achieving safety regimes and I am committed to building on these figures.”