Prison officer overtime has increased during Northern Ireland’s pandemic, the director general of the service said.
Inmates are being held in single cells to reduce the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak but that requires extra manpower to staff a more sprawling footprint of buildings.
The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) also has to cover individual sickness levels well in excess of the civil service-wide average but has reduced that to 19 days annually in recent times, Ronnie Armour added.
Staff have been exceptionally good over the Covid period in stepping forward and doing some extra hours
Ronnie Armour, Northern Ireland Prison Service
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Sickness absence costing prison service more than £3 million a year Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was committed to delivering measures to enhance support for serving and retired prison staff. Picture by Mal McCann Michael McHugh, PA 25 January, 2021 13:52
Sickness absence has cost the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) more than £3 million annually for the last three years, a report said.
A significant number of prison staff suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, a review ordered by the justice minister said, yet some support services were relatively under-used.
Some older staff held concerns about speaking out about mental health.
During the year to March 2020, 988 absences were recorded.
Sickness absence has cost the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) more than £3.5 million in the most recent year recorded, a new report has said.
It s the highest figure in three years, with cost topping £3 million annually and reaching £3,659,640 this year, the report shows.
Two reports were commissioned by the Justice Minister Naomi Long last summer; one on the support services provided for operational prison staff and another dealing with the support services provided for retired staff.
They revealed a significant number of prison staff - more than a quarter - suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are more likely to suffer from mental health difficulties than paramedics or police officers.
The consultation will consider the proposed strategic approach to support and challenge women and girls who are on the cusp of offending or who have already turned to crime.
With a focus on working with women and girls throughout their contact with the justice system and particularly at an earlier stage to assist them in following a pathway away from offending.
Naomi Long said, “Every year there are a small number of women and girls who come in contact with the justice system, because of their behaviour.
“We want to adopt an approach that focuses on the range of contact with justice; on what can be done to prevent and divert women and girls from crime; supporting them to change in the community, and helping improve their lives and circumstances on the occasion they enter and leave custody.