Prisoner escort contracts must be brought back in-house says GMB Union

GMB Union is calling on the Government to insource prisoner escort service contracts, warning that privatisation has driven a recruitment and retention crisis that is failing workers, the justice system and the taxpayer.

A GMB London Region survey of prisoner escort staff in the East of England found that 93 per cent reported inadequate numbers of staff and vans, with vehicle bases in Peterborough and Watton operating at times with less than half the required staff.

87 per cent of respondents reported actively looking for other work.

Understaffed escort services mean delayed court hearings and a court backlog that continues to grow.

As these contracts come up for renewal, GMB is urging the Government to deliver on its ambition to oversee the biggest wave of insourcing for a generation and bring prisoner escort services back in house.

Andre Marques, GMB Regional Organiser, said:

“Privatised prisoner escort has been a costly and unmitigated disaster for workers, for the courts and for the public purse.”

“Insourcing is not just the right thing to do for our members. It is the smart thing to do for the justice system.”

“The basic annual salary for a Prisoner Escort and Custody Officer starts at just over £26,000, with staff routinely working excessive hours.

“Private contractors are extracting profit from a public service while the workforce delivering it is driven out by poverty pay and overwork.”