Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee

Recommendation 187

187

Amend HMPPS recruitment to mandate face-to-face interviews by local governors for frontline staff

Conclusion
HMPPS must amend its recruitment process to ensure that all frontline staff, including prison officers, undergo a mandatory face-to-face interview process led by local governors. This critical step addresses the identified deficiency in governors not having direct involvement in the recruitment process. This lack of involvement limits the scrutiny necessary to prevent individuals recruited solely to facilitate criminal activity from entering the service. (Recommendation, Paragraph 92)
Government Response

A response document is linked to this report, dated 9 January 2026. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗