In light of concerns about the number of prison staff corruption cases, the government has improved prison staff training, reformed HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)’ vetting process and strengthened the Corruption and Crime Unit, which is responsible for tackling staff corruption in prisons. Some think the government needs to go further and have suggested changes to the vetting process and the introduction of a system of registration for prison officers.

What is prison staff corruption?

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) defines corruption as “a person in a position of authority or trust who abuses their position for benefit or gain for themselves or for another person.”

HMPPS provides a list of non-exhaustive examples that constitute prison staff corruption:

  • conveying prohibited or restricted items into or out of a prison.
  • aiding a prisoner to escape.
  • inappropriately facilitating prisoners and supervised individuals’ movement or reclassification.
  • forming inappropriate relationships with prisoners or supervised individuals or with non-supervised individuals (e.g. friends or family members of supervised individuals, prisoners, criminal groups).
  • sexual behaviour with a prisoner or supervised individual.
  • sexually assaulting a prisoner or supervised individual.
  • disclosing personal, sensitive or restricted information or data to a prisoner or supervised individual member of staff or the public, without authorisation.
  • inappropriately influencing or blackmailing staff, including to engage in criminal activity.
  • accepting or seeking bribes or favours, including for commercial purposes including fraud.
  • failure to discharge duties or follow procedures to the required standard.
  • theft of HMPPS money or property, or a prisoners or supervised individual’s money or property.

All members of prison staff receive initial and refresher training on counter corruption and corruption prevention throughout their employment.

HMPPS has a strategy for tackling corruption based on the following pillars:

  • PROTECT against corruption by understanding threats, having robust policies, processes and procedures in place and holding ourselves to account.
  • PREVENT staff from engaging in corruption by recruiting a resilient workforce, strengthening capability and professional integrity and managing corruption risks.
  • PURSUE and punish those involved in corruption through disciplinary and criminal justice outcomes.
  • PREPARE for the consequences of corrupt behaviour and support teams where corruption has occurred.

In 2019, the Conservative government established a Counter Corruption Unit which “proactively pursues those [staff members] suspected of corrupt activity in prison and probation services across England and Wales.”

The unit is made up of 150 staff  who “investigate and disrupt criminality, and bring more prosecutions against those causing harm behind bars.”

Prison staff smuggling drugs

In the year ending March 2025, there were 26,348 incidents where drugs were found in prisons. This was a 25% increase on the previous year.

There are many different routes that drugs enter into prisons, including through visitors, prisoners returning from court and upon arrival in a new prison, drones, ‘throwovers’, mail and through staff.

While the MoJ does not routinely publish statistics on the number of prison staff caught smuggling drugs into prison, in June 2023, the then Prisons Minister, Damian Hinds, stated that between 2019 and June 2023, 78 prison officers and 66 non-officer staff (such as health workers and support staff) had been arrested for “the conveyance of drugs”.

Mr Hinds also stated that during the same period, 24 prison officers and 18 non-officers were charged with “the conveyance of drugs”. Mr Hinds stated that the numbers of officers charged “is not an assured metric” and “is likely very underrepresented” as it doesn’t account for those given a fine or a conditional discharge.

Recent incidents reported in the media include:

Prison staff smuggling mobile phones and weapons

In the year ending March 2025, there were 12,166 incidents where mobile phones were found in prisons and 13,014 incidents where weapons were found in prisons. These were increases of 14% and 12% respectively on the previous year. As with drugs, mobile phones and weapons can enter prisons through a variety of different routes. 

Statistics on the number of prison staff caught smuggling mobile phones and weapons into prisons are not routinely published.

In 2018, a Freedom of Information request by the Observer found that 341 prison staff had been “dismissed, excluded, convicted or cautioned by the police” between 2012 and 2018 for smuggling drugs, weapons and mobile phones into prisons.

The Observer stated that the number of prison officers found smuggling contraband into prisons had increased by 57% between 2012 and 2018.

Recent incidents reported in the media include:

Prison staff inappropriate relationships with prisoners

The MoJ defines an inappropriate relationship between prison staff and a prisoner as “any relationship that compromises a staff member’s ability to appropriately perform their duties.”

In March 2026, the MoJ stated that 41 prison officers had been convicted of an offence of misconduct in public office, where the offence related to an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner, between 2020 and 2025,

Fifteen prison officers were convicted of this offence in 2025, which was an 85% increase on the six prison officers convicted of this offence in 2024.

Incidents reported in the media include:

Prison staff conduct and discipline cases 

The increase in prison staff corruption can be viewed in the context of a more general increase in prison conduct and discipline cases.

According to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), in 2024/25, the overall rate of prison staff investigated for conduct and discipline cases was 1.9 per 100 staff. This was an increase from 1.6 per 100 staff in 2023/24.

The rate of conduct and discipline cases is “substantially higher” among male staff compared to female staff. In 2024/25, the rate of conduct and discipline cases were 2.8 per 100 male staff compared with 1.1 per 100 female staff.

Whilst staff at almost all grade levels were investigated for conduct and discipline in 2024/25, Band 3-5 prison officers (ranging from entry level prison officers to custodial managers) had the highest investigation rate at 6.9 per 100 staff compared to all other grades who had a rate of 3.9 per 100 staff or lower.

According to figures obtained by The Independent via a Freedom of Information request, the number of prison staff dismissals for conduct and discipline “surged to their highest level in at least 15 years” in the year to March 2025, with 164 prison staff dismissed for misconduct, which was an 83% increase on the average over the previous 14 years.

Why are known cases of prison staff corruption increasing?

It has been stated that several factors have contributed to the rise in known cases of prison staff corruption, including the number of inexperienced staff, poor vetting, insufficient training for new recruits and the effectiveness of the Counter Corruption Unit.

Inexperienced staff

One of the main reasons given for the increase in prison staff corruption is the number of inexperienced staff in prisons.

As of 31 December 2025, 33.5% of band 3-5 prison officers had less than three years’ service, while 25% of band 3-5 prison officers with ten years or more experience. This means that of the 22,067 FTE band 3-5 prison officers, only 5,519 prison officers have ten years or more experience.

Former prison governor, David Wilson, has stated that the rise in the number of inexperienced officers “allows prisoners to manipulate officers to do things that they would not be able to manipulate a more experienced officer to do.”

The chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, Mark Fairhurst has stated that “inexperienced staff will always be at risk of conditioning from experienced prisoners” while a former governor of HMP Belmarsh, John Podmore, has stated that experienced prisoners have power over inexperienced prison officers and “that power balance manifests itself in corrupt activity.”

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, has stated that while some inexperienced staff are “brilliant”, there is a “danger […] they get exploited by prisoners.” Mr Taylor explained:

What they’ll do is that a new member of staff will start. They’ll set a couple of prisoners on him or her. Start bullying them, giving them a really hard time, being a bit crazy with them, and then some very charming person will come along and say, ‘Leave them alone. How dare you speak to her like that. Don’t worry, love, you’re with me.’ By then they’ve already begun to reel that person in and begin a collusive-type relationship. And that immediately is something that sophisticated prisoners can start to try and exploit.

The chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, Pia Sinha, has also stated that inexperienced officers are more vulnerable to being manipulated, stating:

When you have young, inexperienced staff going onto the landings, they have less life experience than sophisticated prisoners on the wings and can end up being manipulated.

Young staff are left without adequate support and supervision, which means they are vulnerable.

The chair of the Prison Governors Association, Tom Wheatley, has stated that the rise in the number of inexperienced prison officers is because of HMPPS’ “inability to retain staff”. Mr Wheatley states that this is because of  insufficient pay and difficult working conditions and has urged the government to address these challenges to “improve retention and build confidence and competence.”

Poor vetting and recruitment

The application process for becoming a prison officer takes six to seven months on average, and includes:

  • an online scenario-based test to assess whether a person has basic numeracy skills and the behaviours expected of a prison officer.
  • an online assessment comprising an interview, a role play, and a written test to assess whether a person has the abilities, behaviours and strengthsneeded to be a prison officer.
  • pre-employment checks including security, identity, past employment and health checks.
  • medical and fitness tests.

It has been suggested that the poor standard of vetting and recruitment for potential prison staff has contributed to a rise in corruption.

A former governor of HMP Belmarsh, John Podmore, has described the vetting process as “poor” which he says risks allowing in those “who want to join for criminal purposes”.

Similarly, Pia Sinha, has stated that “the desperation to have boots on the ground means the quality of the selection process is poor.”

Ms Sinha has also stated that the prison service cannot afford to “play fast and loose with the way you screen people” and that “there needs to be greater governor autonomy” over vetting and recruitment rather than the current reliance on a privatised recruitment service.

A former head of security at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, Vanessa Frake,  has also raised concerns about “people being vetted online rather than face-to-face”. Ms Frake states that this “makes it much more difficult to assess a candidate’s suitability for the role.”

Insufficient training

It has also been suggested that the level of training that new prison officers receive has contributed to the rise in staff corruption cases.

Prison officer training in England and Wales is comprised of a seven- or eight-week foundation training programme followed by on-the-job learning to “build on the skills, knowledge and behaviours” learnt during the foundation training.

Prison officer training includes learning how to:

  • look after people in custody.
  • search and security procedures.
  • use of prison radios and keys.
  • how to de-escalate challenging situations.
  • control and restraint techniques.

The deputy general secretary of the Prison Officers Association, Mick Pimblett, stated that training for new prison officers in England and Wales is “basically inadequate” while Charlie Taylor has stated that current prison officer training “isn’t enough for the complexity of the job.”

Mr Pimblett states the lack of training means that new recruits are “not prepared for what they are going to face” and “not given any time to work on their skills and how to develop relationships with the prisoners without being manipulated”.

Tom Wheatley has stated that he “doesn’t think we are training prison officers enough” and that additional staff training would enable officers to “cope with violence and pressure.”

John Podmore has stated that while training in other countries “could last for two years, in some cases with qualifications at degree level”, training in England and Wales has been “made shorter and shorter.”

Natasha Porter, the chief executive of Unlocked Graduates, a charity that recruits graduates to work as prison officers, has said “it is nuts that those working on the frontline of prisons get less training than other frontline public service roles such as social workers and police officers.”

Ms Porter has recommended that prison officers should “complete training on corruption with the same regularity that those working with vulnerable people complete safeguarding training.”

Vanessa Frake has stated that “training is done on the job” with “new staff teaching new staff.” She stated that new staff are “not developing the skills to identify corruption and manipulation” which results in “people being thrown in at the deep end.”

Effectiveness of the Counter Corruption Unit

The Telegraph has reported that the rise in investigations into prison staff corruption can be attributed to the effectiveness of the Counter Corruption Unit which “proactively pursues those [staff members] suspected of corrupt activity in prison and probation services across England and Wales.”

According to the Executive Director of Security for HMPPS, Richard Vince, the Counter Corruption Unit is “really working” and in 2024 it secured “183 positive outcomes […] leading to 54 criminal justice outcomes, 76 dismissals and 53 exclusions for non-directly employed staff.” Mr Vince also stated that the unit is also succeeding in “stopping people getting corrupted in the first place.”

Government action to tackle prison staff corruption

The government has announced several measures aimed at tackling prison staff corruption, including improving staff training, reforming HMPSS’ vetting process, strengthening the Corruption and Crime Unit and the launch of a retention strategy and improving prison security.

Improving staff training

In September 2025, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the MoJ, Jake Richards, stated that HMPPS was “leading a full redesign of prison officer training” through the introduction of the Enable Programme, to “strengthen the training offer through a more robust, evidence-based approach.”

Mr Richards stated that through the Enable Programme, new prison staff will receive “a new 12-month modular package of learning which will support the development of the knowledge, skills, behaviours and confidence needed for the modern prison officer role.”

The Enable Programme also includes “upskilling packages for prison officers at the beginning of their service, and a strengthened succession planning and talent pipeline for prison governors.”

Vetting changes

During an oral evidence session with the Justice Select Committee in July 2025, the Executive Director of Security for HMPPS, Richard Vince, stated that HMMPS had introduced an “ambitious vetting reform programme” which puts “far greater controls in place and far more detailed assessments of individuals” applying to work in prisons.

Mr Vince stated that the internal inquiries for initial vetting have been significantly strengthened and that vetting investigations were now “far more robust than they were a couple of years ago.”

Mr Vince also stated that HMPPS was moving towards lifelong vetting to ensure that security assessments continue throughout an employee’s career and are enhanced when staff transition into higher-risk roles, such as security.

Strengthening the Corruption and Crime Unit

In June 2025, the Labour government announced it would strengthen the Corruption and Crime Unit by embedding “two senior police leads” within the unit to “enhance cooperation in tackling key areas like corruption and organised crime in prisons.” No further details have been released.

Retention strategy

In 2021, HMPPS launched a retention strategy focussed on retaining experienced prison staff and supporting their development.

The strategy enables HMPPS to “review the reasons Prison Officers are choosing to leave” and to highlight “clear areas to improve the employee experience, employee lifecycle and staff engagement at work.”

The strategy includes the following retention initiatives:

  • creating a streamlined recruitment process for operational support grades (Band 2)who would like to become prison officers.
  • providing targeted support to prisons with the highestattrition rates through a retention oversight process.
  • monitoringexit interview data on the main drivers of attrition.
  • acting on the findings of the independent review ofprison officer foundation training.
  • new workforce approaches for staff through the‘Enable’ programme, ensuring staff feel safe, supported, valued and confident in their skills and their ability to make a difference.

The government state that the strategy is working as the resignation rate for band 3 to 5 prison officers as of December 2025 is “the lowest it has been in the last four years.”

Enhanced security measures

In June 2025, the government announced it was investing £40 million in new security measures “to clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars”, including upgrades to CCTV, control rooms and biometric devices and the installation of exterior netting and reinforced windows.

In December 2025, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the MoJ, Jake Richards, confirmed that “local security strategies allow for routine and random rub-down searches of prison officers and other staff upon entry to, or within, prisons.”

Calls for further action to tackle prison staff corruption

In addition to the action already taken, the government has also been urged to align HMPPS’ vetting requirements with the police’s vetting requirements, introduce a mandatory face-to-face interview process led by local governors and to introduce a professional registration system for prison officers.

Further changes to the HMPPS vetting system

The Justice Select Committee has urged HMPPS to “immediately commit to aligning its personnel vetting requirements with those of other tier-one security and law enforcement agencies, such as the police”.

This would make vetting for prison staff more rigorous and would introduce continuous vetting requirements, detailed financial checks, police intelligence checks and checks on their family and close associates.

The Justice Select Committee has also urged the government to introduce a “mandatory face-to-face interview process led by local governors” for all prospective prison officers, to improve scrutiny and to “prevent individuals recruited solely to facilitate criminal activity from entering the service.”

Professional registration system for prison officers

The charity the Prison Reform Trust has urged the government to introduce a professional registration system for prison officers like the registration requirement for nurses.

The Prison Reform Trust states this would help to drive standards and highlight any potential issues, with prison officers having to re-apply for a certificate of competence to practise every three years.

The Prison Reform Trust states that this would require prison officers to continuously engage with training and professional development opportunities and to demonstrate they have the right skills, knowledge and ability to remain a registered prison officer.

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