To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of rates
of assaults on prison staff by custody categories (a) male A, (b) male B, (c) male
C, (d) male D, (e) female restricted, (f) female closed, (g) female open, (h) young
offender institution and (i) youth custody; and during (i) daytime and (ii) night-time,
in each of the last five years.
<p>The rates of assaults on prison staff by prison categorisation is set out in the
attached table.</p><p> </p><p>Violence against our hard-working prison officers is
unacceptable, and we work closely with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to
bring the perpetrators to justice. Additionally, as outlined in our Sentencing White
Paper, we will double the maximum sentence for assaulting an emergency worker from
12 months to two years.</p><p> </p><p>We are also giving officers PAVA pepper spray
and body-worn cameras to make their jobs safer, as well as access to post incident
care teams, occupational health support and counselling for those who need it. More
widely, we are spending £100 million to bolster prison security, clamping down on
the weapons, drugs and mobile phones that fuel violence and crime behind bars. This
will fund tough airport-style security, body scanners and phone-blocking technology.</p>
