Justice Secretary announces major security boost for prison staff

Mr. Lammy stated: "I recognize that, firstly, I’d like to see the number of prison officers increase, and we’ll only achieve that if prison officers feel secure, and there exists a group of violent, pernicious prisoners with malevolent intent.

"The system has to work hard to ensure they are not allowed, not able to achieve that malevolent intent and put any officer in a vulnerable position. So I look closely at what he recommends."

Hashem Abedi has been charged with attempting to murder prison officers and is due to appear in court on September 25.

The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, has been appointed to lead an investigation into the alleged attack and make recommendations to enhance safety for frontline officers. 

The announcement of more equipment is supported by £15 million in funding.

Speaking to staff at Category A jail Belmarsh, 28-year-old Lewis, wearing a black stab-proof vest, told the Justice Secretary he believes he has observed an increase in violence, adding: "I think this will deter and hopefully reduce violence."

When asked about the causes of the violence, he cited drugs, weapons, mobile phones, and people getting into debt that "spirals out of control".

He informed reporters that he has had colleagues hospitalized and has witnessed staff being stabbed during his seven years as an officer.

Regarding how the vest felt to wear, he said: "I could quite happily wear it all day."

The new measures also coincide with the introduction of legislation to address the prison capacity crisis in Parliament earlier this month.

The Sentencing Bill was introduced just before Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s major Cabinet reshuffle, which saw former justice secretary Shabana Mahmood replaced by Mr. Lammy and followed a year of emergency measures to deal with jail overcrowding.

According to figures released by the Ministry of Justice, 87,578 people were in jail as of Monday.

This is 943 fewer prisoners than the record high of 88,521 reached in September last year, following the summer riots in towns and cities across the UK.

Mr. Lammy told reporters: "I think I’m hoping, under my watch, we’ll see stability in the system, so we won’t need emergency measures."

"Shabana did a lot of work to address the immediate emergency, and I don’t want to suggest that this isn’t still an acute period where we have to keep a very, very close eye on both prison places and certainly on the backlog."

Tory shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick welcomed the measures, adding: "Frontline officers have been left exposed for far too long."

"They cannot afford more delays - this equipment needs to reach them immediately."

"The situation in our prisons is a national security emergency. The Justice Secretary must immediately roll out anti-drone technology to prevent weapons - and potentially guns - from being flown into prisons."

"Every day the Justice Secretary delays, lives are put at risk."