THE Prison Officers Association (POA) warned “urgent action and investment” is needed to stem the rising violence in jails today.

The government has announced former Tory home secretary Amber Rudd will lead its latest review into the prison system in England and Wales.

POA general secretary Steve Gillan said: “Over my 36 years working in the criminal justice system we have had dozens of reviews that end up lying on a shelf gathering dust.

“If we are to have yet another review it should be a serious, holistic and comprehensive royal commission into the entire justice system that covers policing, the courts, the prison system, social work, the third sector and more.”

Ministers have been warned violence is surging in British jails as prison officers are less experienced than at any time in the past 15 years.

In April, analysis of official figures showed that the average experience of prison officers in full-time equivalent employment fell from 13.7 years at the end of 2010 to 9.7 in 2025.

Prison assaults in England and Wales, meanwhile, rose by 7 per cent to 10,568 attacks on staff in the year to March 2025 — a 254 per cent rise since 2010.

Mr Gillan said: “Overcrowding, understaffing, drugs, contraband and the influence of organised crime gangs are creating a hostile working environment. 

“This is causing experienced officers to leave the service and preventing new officers from joining.

“The system is failing prisoners, staff and society. The government must invest in the greatest asset the prison service has: its people.”