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<p>The causes of violence in prison are complex, but we know that the skills and availability
of staff play a critical role in maintaining order. We have recruited over 4,700 more
prison officers since October 2016, and we now have the greatest number in post since
early 2012. We have established a new Standards Coaching Team of experienced officers
from across the estate who have been trained in coaching skills. They are advising
these new staff on standards and consistency, and working with them to build their
confidence.</p><p> </p><p>Recruiting so many new officers inevitably means there are
more staff and more leavers. We are working hard to retain staff, with the biggest
pay increase in a decade and additional training so they stay and progress their careers.</p><p>
</p><p>The key worker scheme is already showing promising signs of effectiveness and
has started in all 92 closed adult male prisons, with over 30,000 prisoners having
an assigned key worker who has dedicated time each week to work with them. The Challenge,
Support and Intervention Plan case management process for prisoners at risk of violence
is fully in place in all prisons. We are improving perimeter security and using other
equipment such as body scanners to address the supply of drugs. We are giving officers
tools like PAVA pepper spray and body-worn cameras to make their jobs safer. We have
announced an extra £100 million for security, on top of the £70 million we were already
spending to make prisons more secure and decent.</p><p> </p><p>We are confident that
these initiatives, together with the many other measures that we are taking to protect
our staff, will reduce the level of violence in prisons.</p>
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