A Prison Officer at HMP Nottingham has been attacked by a Prisoner and had his throat slashed which required 17 sutures on Sunday morning 14th April 2019. The Officer has now been discharged from hospital and recovering at home. The POA – The Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional & Secure Psychiatric Workers in the UK,  are informed that the Prisoner is in police custody and we are calling for this to be treated as attempted murder.

The POA are also seeking urgent discussions with Ministers on the latest violent act to take place in the English and Welsh Prison service as we believe it is now time for Ministers to act decisively as the violence in prisons has spiralled out of control.

POA Leaders said: “The POA have written to HMPPS and demanded that the roll out of PAVA is not delayed but now expedited to provide Prison Officers with equipment to deal with extreme violence. The Health and Safety of our members and indeed those in our care is paramount. Government Ministers must now act swiftly before we are talking about a death of a serving Prison Officer. The violence in our jails as identified by this horrendous attack is at epidemic level and the union will not stand by and allow such attacks on our members.”

The POA want Ministers to agree an action plan to address the extreme violence against which our members face on a daily basis. The option to do or say nothing from Ministers has clearly passed. Health and Safety at work is required by law it isn’t something that can be ignored. The POA will not allow Health and Safety legislation to be ignored and we will do everything in our power to hold Ministers and employers responsible and accountable where the Health and Safety of our members has not been complied with as per the legislation.