asked the Minister for Justice if he has satisfied himself with the provision made by his Department for traning of prison officers; the percentage of prison officers who have received the full 14 weeks induction training course; the percentage of prison officers who have received in-service training in the last 12 months; if there are any serving prison officers who have received no induction training for their job; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Training of Prison Officers.
47.
Induction training for newly recruited officers was introduced in the early seventies and this type of training has gradually been developed into the present 12-week course.
As some of the staff members currently serving were recruited before the introduction of induction training and others when the induction course was shorter than it is now, it would not be possible to say how many officers did not receive the full 12-week course without a detailed examination of the records, which would be expensive in terms of scarce staff resources which are required for more pressing duties. Where, as happens occasionally, officers are prevented from attending the full induction course because of exceptional immediate needs for extra staff in the prisons, every effort is made to recall them for the periods of tuition they have lost.
In addition to induction training, short in-service training programmes are provided in most of the institutions: about half of the serving prison officers received in-service training of this kind in the 12 months to 30 November 1988. Furthermore, development training courses are provided for officers up to the rank of governor.
The level of training in the Prison Service is, of course, kept under review.