A courageous former prison officer, who endured a brutal attack while on duty, brought her fight to safeguard her ex-colleagues to the forefront of Parliament on Thursday. Claire Lewis, a survivor of a traumatic assault at Frankland jail in Durham 16 years ago, suffered from severe PTSD and was forced to retire due to her injuries.
Despite her own ordeal, Claire spearheaded a campaign to enhance the safety of all prison staff nationwide. Last year, she initiated a petition following an incident involving terrorist Hashem Abedi at Frankland, underscoring the urgent need for improved protection measures.
In response to the advocacy efforts, the government has committed to equipping 10,000 officers with protective body armor and arming hundreds of frontline personnel with Tasers. However, Claire, 50, from Washington, Tyne and Wear, insists that all 23,000 prison officers should have access to such safeguards, a matter that was deliberated in Parliament for the first time recently.
Expressing her concerns, Claire emphasized the necessity of comprehensive protection measures for all prison staff to prevent incidents like the one she endured. Her local Labour MP, Sharon Hodgson, and former Conservative Minister Sir Julian Lewis lent their support to this crucial cause during parliamentary discussions.
Sir Julian highlighted the positive outcome of the debate, stating broad cross-party support for the mandatory provision of anti-stab vests to all prison employees. He stressed the immediate need to implement these measures to ensure the safety and well-being of staff members.
Acknowledging Claire’s impactful advocacy, MPs commended her efforts in raising awareness about the pressing security issues faced by prison officers. Approximately £15 million has been allocated to enhance staff protection measures in light of recent security challenges.
Claire cautioned against limited distribution of anti-stab vests, citing the serious injuries sustained by officers during Abedi’s alleged attack. The incident prompted calls for arming prison officers with Tasers, akin to police officers who have been equipped with anti-stab vests since 1994.
Appreciative of the public support she received, Claire highlighted the deployment of protective vests among other frontline personnel and stressed the importance of ensuring the efficacy of the equipment provided to prison staff.
The Prison Officers Association has demanded that all staff members be equipped with stab vests and Tasers at all times to address the escalating risks faced by personnel. The Ministry of Justice reiterated its commitment to enhancing staff safety through increased use of mandatory body armor and implementation of additional security measures across prison facilities.
