Today Liz Truss set out plans to recruit more prisons officers. But thousands of frontline staff have been lost under the Tories, while previous recruitment drives have failed spectacularly.

Responding to Liz Truss’ speech to Conservative Party Conference, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, Richard Burgon, said:

“Liz Truss is so committed to prison reform her first act was to put it on hold.

“It’s clear from her speech that the Tories have no answers on the prisons crisis that has developed on their watch.

“They continually talk about recruiting more staff but the do the opposite: nearly 5,000 frontline officers have been lost under the Tories, and they have failed spectacularly on previous recruitment drives.

“Rather than admit their previous mistakes and take a different approach, the Government have been reduced to announcing a rehashed an existing scheme.

“We need to see real action to turn our prison system around, but the Tories offer no answers and no change.”