• Politics
• Visit Article Link

• BBC Politics
• Sun Jun 1 2025

Prison officers should be armed, say Conservatives

16 hours ago Share Save Paul Seddon Political reporter Share Save

Getty Images

Prison officers dealing with violent inmates should be armed, the shadow justice secretary has said. Specialist guards should have Taser stun guns and baton rounds - a less lethal alternative to traditional bullets - to give them "confidence" in handling threats, Robert Jenrick told the BBC. The Conservatives said secure armouries should be introduced at maximum security jails and used as a last resort. Prison officers in adult male prisons currently only carry an extendable baton and Pava, a synthetic pepper spray.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said some prison officers will use Tasers this summer on a trial basis, but argued that giving them lethal weapons would put them at greater risk. The Prison Officers' Association (POA), a union, called for stronger protection for staff after a string of attacks. It said stun guns should be made available to officers working in the UK's most dangerous jails. Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Jenrick said that without intervention it was "only a matter of time" before a prison officer was "held hostage and potentially killed". He added that under his proposals, officers would not be "walking the wings" with lethal weapons, but would "have access to them if they need them". The Conservative's call for officers to be armed follows a review conducted for the party by former prison governor Ian Acheson. Among other policies, the party also wants to see high-collar stab vests immediately rolled out to frontline officers.

'Dire record'