Pepper spray to be used in young offender institutions as violence against staff 14 times higher than adult prisons

24 April 2025, 15:19

Prison officers in young offender institutions will start using pepper spray in a bid to combat soaring violence levels from inmates.

Synthetic pepper spray will be introduced at young offender institutions (YOIs) this summer, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced.

New figures released by the MoJ on Thursday show the level of violence against staff has risen dramatically – 14 times higher than at adult prisons.

This is despite there being fewer young people in custody in recent years, most of whom are boys between the ages of 16 and 18.

Pava spray, which is an incapacitant, will be made available "in limited circumstances" to a select number of specialist staff, the MoJ said.

These specially trained prison officers will receive a "really high level" of training, and are only allowed to use it when there is serious violence or immediate risk of violence.

The spray is intended as a ‘last resort’, and there will be "a very clear, high threshold" for when the spray should be used, a senior youth custody source said.

The spray will be used at the three public sector YOIs holding under-18s - YOI Werrington, Wetherby and Feltham A.

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Ministers will review its use after 12 months, and each individual use of the spray will be reviewed by an independent panel.

Recent incidents in YOIs have seen staff suffer fractures, dislocations and puncture wounds as they tried to contain them, the MoJ said.

Inmates have been using "everyday pieces of plastic" as weapons, such as cutlery and screws taken out of furniture, a senior youth custody source said.

In one incident, a female staff member resorted to "using her body as a human shield" to protect an inmate being targeted in a group attack in the courtyard, a separate senior source said.

The MoJ figures show the rates of assaults in the YOIs as 14 times higher than in adult prisons.

Last year there were 170.0 assault incidents per 100 children and young people at Feltham, 182.9 per 100 at Werrington, and 167.4 per 100 at Wetherby.

The equivalent figure in adult prisons in England and Wales was 12.2 per 100.

PAVA spray is already used by police officers in the community and by guards at adult prisons.

Justice minister Sir Nic Dakin said: "This government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis. The unacceptable levels of violence faced by our brave frontline officers in young offender institutions is yet another symptom of that.

"This is not a decision we have made lightly, but our overarching duty is to keep staff and young people in custody safe. This spray is a vital tool to prevent serious violence, helping staff to focus on rehabilitation as part of our Plan for Change."

A charity condemned the introduction of Pava into YOIs as "a serious escalation in the use of force that is permitted against children", saying the spray can cause severe pain.

Andrea Coomber KC, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the group would consider taking legal action to challenge the decision.

She said: "There is too much violence in prisons holding children, but this is a direct consequence of a failing system that keeps boys as young as 15 locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day without meaningful access to education or social interaction.

"It reflects a profound failure on the part of those responsible for children in custody that they would consider introducing weapons in the name of safety.

"Instead of arming staff, the way to reduce violence is to close failing young offender institutions and ensure that children are accommodated in more appropriate settings - such as secure children's homes - where they can be given the care and support they need.

"Prison is no place for a child."

The move was welcomed by union bosses who lobbied for the change after a rise in violence against staff.

Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) said: "Young offenders institutions can be a very challenging environment for our members to work in.

"Prison officers must be given the right PPE to protect themselves and prisoners from violence. This is a step in the right direction."

The announcement comes after several high-profile incidents raised concerns about the levels of protection for officers in adult prisons.

Four guards were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in County Durham earlier in April, with the inmate subsequently transferred to Belmarsh after the incident.

Convicted killer John Mansfield was found dead after suffering a head injury at HMP Whitemoor on April 13, with another inmate arrested on suspicion of his murder.

Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the use of Tasers would be trialled in prisons and confirmed the prison service would conduct a "snap review" of the use of protective body armour for prison officers.