Prison Officers: Body Armour and Stun Guns
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 29 May 2026 to Question 1123 on Prison Officers: Body Armour and Stun Guns, how many frontline prison officers are employed in roles classified as high-risk for the purposes of the protective body armour programme; what proportion of those officers currently hold body armour; and by what date all eligible officers are projected to receive provision.
Answered by Jake Richards
The 4,499 front-line officers (uniformed Bands 3 – 5) who are employed across the long-term high security estate are among the up to 10,000 prison staff who will receive protective body armour as part of the additional provision we have announced. The programme is due to be completed by March 2027. 514 officers have so far been equipped with protective body armour as part of the initial implementation.
HM Prison & Probation Service is satisfied that the protective body armour issued to specialist staff is appropriate for its intended operational purpose. The equipment was selected to provide protection against identified risks while remaining suitable for prolonged operational use. Feedback from users and ongoing operational assurance arrangements continue to inform our assessment of its effectiveness.
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