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  11. UCU says suspend face-to-face prison education as staff don't even have basic handwashing facilities
Covid-19 prisons

UCU says suspend face-to-face prison education as staff don't even have basic handwashing facilities

24 March 2020

Around two-thirds of prison education staff (63%) say hand washing facilities in their prisons are inadequate, despite government guidance which says regular hand washing is crucial to slowing the spread of coronavirus.

UCU has called for an immediate suspension of all face-to-face prison education to help reduce further spread of the coronavirus. The union has written to Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) calling for prison education to be stopped and offering to help look at ways to provide alternative learning materials for prisoners.

A survey by the union released on Tuesday found that more than one-in-ten (12%) prison educators don't have access to soap, 8% can't access hot water and over two-thirds (69%) can't wash their hands during lesson time.

The survey also revealed that:

  • almost all (93%) prison educators are expected to share pens, keyboards and other equipment with staff and prisoners
  • around two-thirds (64%) said classrooms aren't being cleaned between lessons
  • one in five (19%) hadn't been told about instances where other prison staff were self-isolating as a precaution
  • almost a third (31%) haven't been given clear instructions from their employer about when to self-isolate
  • one in five (19%) have been asked to undertake non-educational activities in recent weeks such as cleaning, catering and handing out medication to prisoners.

Read the full news release.

Last updated: 24 March 2020