Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any steps she is taking to improve the (i) recruitment; and (ii) retention, of prison officers.
Minister of Justice: (i) The Northern Ireland Prison Service does not face difficulty attracting applicants. There remains strong interest in joining the Service, with 533 individuals recruited into operational roles since June 2021.
The primary challenge is the availability of funding to recruit at the scale required to meet demand. This is particularly significant given the continued rise in the prison population, which is placing increasing pressure on staffing levels and operational capacity.
To strengthen recruitment, the Prison Service has introduced a targeted campaign alongside a revised selection process. This includes online aptitude testing, a physical fitness assessment, a Skills and Behaviours Assessment Centre, and a comprehensive 12-week induction programme at the Prison Service College with practical and job shadowing elements. These measures are designed to ensure recruits are well prepared for the realities of the role.
(ii) Retention rates within the Prison Service compare favourably with similar organisations, and there has been a clear improvement in recent years. The number of staff leaving has reduced from 103 in 2022 to 60 in 2025.
While this reflects positive progress, retention must be considered in the context of increasing operational pressures, including a growing and more complex prison population.
To support staff retention, a range of measures have been introduced, including:
Structured exit interviews to better understand and address the reasons staff leave;
Enhanced recruitment and training processes to ensure new staff are better prepared;
Mentoring arrangements and targeted health and wellbeing initiatives; and
A Retention Framework to capture staff experience at key stages and inform ongoing improvements.
These actions are helping to strengthen workforce stability. However, sustained progress will depend on ensuring that staffing levels are adequately supported by the necessary resources to meet rising demand.
ENDS
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