Criminals Getting Employed as Prison Officers to Help Jail Smuggling, Claims Union

The Prison Officers’ Association says organised crime gangs are infiltrating the system by getting their associates to apply for jobs working in jails.
Criminals Getting Employed as Prison Officers to Help Jail Smuggling, Claims Union
Two people walk alongside the curtain wall of HMP Liverpool, northwest England, on Nov. 15, 2016 Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
Chris Summers
Updated:
0:00

The Prison Officers’ Association (PAO) claims organised crime groups are taking advantage of the shortage of staff and getting their associates hired as prison officers with the “sole purpose” of smuggling drugs and mobile phones into jail.

The POA, the trade union which represents 30,000 prison officers, said online interviews—which were introduced during the pandemic but have been retained—were contributing to a situation where the “wrong people” were being hired.

Chris Summers
Chris Summers
Author
Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in crime, policing and the law.
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