£15m to increase body armour and Tasers for prison staff

The government has announced an investment of around £15 million to fund more protective body armour – also known as stab proof vests – for frontline prison officers, as well as more officers trained in using Tasers.  

This will dramatically increase the number of vests available from 750 to up to 10,000 staff to better protect them from violence – with 5,000 specifically to equip every officer working in long term and high-security prisons.   

The funding will also see up to 500 prison officers trained up to use Tasers, scaling up the initial trial announced this summer for 20 specialist staff. 

Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, who made the announcement, said: "Our dedicated prison officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect us. This new investment sends a clear message: we back our staff and we will give them the tools they need to do their jobs safely."

The funding expands upon the existing plan to introduce protective body armour to high-secure settings including Close Supervision Centres, Separation Centres and Segregation Units. Prisons have already begun receiving kit last week.

The Taser pilot, announced this summer, applied to 20 specifically trained officers from national units deployed to high-risk scenarios. This expansion will enable small teams of prison-based staff to provide immediate intervention during high-threat, serious incidents.  

The Deputy Prime Minister made today’s announcement on a visit HMP Belmarsh, a high-security prison in south London, to hear first-hand from staff about their work and challenges.