Category: Speeches

The speech made by James Timpson, the Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, on 6 May 2025.

Thank you, Jennifer, for that introduction, it’s great to be here.

Let me start by thanking Emily for hosting us today…

And for everything you do to lead by example at High Down. A culture of high professional standards starts at the top – I know you take that incredibly seriously.

Thanks to all the staff here today – for the absolutely critical work you do day in, and day out, to protect the public and turn lives around…

And to everyone involved in putting this event together.

Of course, I also want to thank you, Jennifer, and the people who supported you, for this important report, and for your work as a Non-Executive Director at the Ministry of Justice. I’m fortunate to have you as a colleague.

This marks a watershed moment for every part of HMPPS – Prison, Probation and YCS.

A wake-up call, and an opportunity to change things for the better, for more than 65,000 staff who work there.

I want to start with two stories. Two real life stories, showing two very different faces of the same Service. The first is about a prison officer – I’ll call her Jane.

It was a night shift like any other. Things seemed calm – the prison was under control. The kind of shift where officers carry out routine monitoring, and respond to any emergencies.

Jane was doing exactly that, focusing on the checks she needed to make.

Also on duty that night was a senior colleague. A man in a position of authority. He was a higher rank than Jane. And he had more years in the job than she did.

Jane had heard things about him. That he had a reputation. It was, as she put it, “common knowledge” that he could be lecherous. But she’d never had a problem herself…

Until that night.

It started with the way he looked at her – lingering, unsettling. Then, out of nowhere, he asked: “What’s your bra size?”

Jane was taken aback, unsure at first if she’d heard it right.

She answered, firmly: “That’s none of your business.”

And she walked out of the room. But the man followed her.

Cornering her in a nearby kitchen, he grabbed hold of Jane, and forced his tongue into her mouth. Then he groped her.

Jane felt trapped. Frightened and powerless.

Like so many men in positions of authority who abuse their power like this, he told her that it needed to be their “secret”.

Shocked, and shaken, Jane didn’t report what had happened at first.

Because he was in charge.

Because she didn’t want to rock the boat.

Because she loved her job…

And she didn’t want to lose it.

Eventually, Jane did work up the courage to come forward. Her colleague was sacked, rightly. And he was brought to justice – prosecuted for sexually assaulting Jane, and another officer.

He is due to be sentenced soon, and could very well go from patrolling the prison landings, to living on them. His actions were clearly despicable. But Jane’s story begs the question…

Why did it take an assault for this man to finally be called out?

Why, when he already had a reputation, was he not exposed sooner?

Too often, in the Prison and Probation Service, unacceptable behaviour is laughed off as a joke, as lads being lads.

The trouble is, when someone says, “it’s just banter”, it becomes harder and harder to call this behaviour out for what it really is:

Abuse. Intimidation. And harassment.

It’s unacceptable. And this Government will not tolerate it, at all.

But I said there were two stories. The second takes us to HMP Frankland – one of our most secure, most challenging prisons.

Just last month, three officers there were brutally attacked by an inmate. Stabbed and slashed. A lifechanging, traumatic experience.

There’s an investigation underway, so I won’t go beyond what’s been reported publicly…

But I can say this: Without the courage and quick thinking of those officers, and their colleagues, who responded, lives would have been lost.

And it was a privilege to speak to some of the officers involved myself, when I visited Frankland recently.

They ran towards danger, when others would run away. They are true heroes. And our thoughts are with the injured officers as they continue to recover.

That kind of bravery isn’t rare in the Service.

Our probation officers, too, manage risk constantly, working with dangerous offenders to keep the public safe.

These are jobs where heroism happens daily, in environments more stressful, more pressurised, than people could possibly imagine.

And I see the same spirit time and again when I visit a prison or a PDU:

Dedication. Sacrifice. An unshakeable sense of duty.

The question is, then: how do we make this a Service worthy of the heroes at Frankland? Worthy of every hero in the Service?

Because behind high prison walls, in PDUs, and offices, away from public eyes, toxic behaviour can all too easily take root and grow – unless we weed it out.

Unacceptable behaviour – language, attitudes, and actions – have become normalised, tolerated, and accepted over time.

And, as Jennifer’s report shows, bullying, intimidation, and harassment in HMPPS has gone unchecked for far too long. Her findings are deeply sobering:

There is a “vacuum of pastoral care” for victims of sexual harassment – too often left to raise concerns with a line manager, who may be well-meaning, but hasn’t been trained to handle the situation sensitively.

Little is being done to track complaints, making it almost impossible to get a sense of the scale of the problem… In turn, making it much harder to take meaningful action.

And the message is clear: there is a fundamental, devastating, lack of trust in how complaints of bullying, discrimination and harassment are dealt with.

Too many staff feel unable to speak out, fearing they won’t be believed…

That it will only make matters worse – because the hierarchy above them will close ranks…

And that nothing will be done. This isn’t a culture that we should stand for.

We must rebuild that trust. And to begin doing so, we need to face up to the realities of the situation as they exist today, and the effect this has on staff:

Imagine making a complaint, knowing full well it will be investigated by a senior manager, who is friends with the person harassing you – and they socialise together outside of work, too.

Imagine, plucking up the courage to come forward, only to have your complaint passed on to the perpetrator. Or to learn that paperwork about your grievance has been left in a public area, for all to see.

Imagine seeing a colleague branded a ‘grass’, for speaking out.

Would you want to come forward under those circumstances?

Would you have confidence you’d be dealt with fairly?

These are just some of the examples laid bare in Jennifer’s report.

Last year, one in eight HMPPS staff said that they had been bullied or harassed, or that they’d experienced discrimination. Many said they didn’t feel as though they could come forward, or that they would be punished, if they did.

All of this is against a backdrop of damaging newspaper headlines. Stories of inappropriate relationships between staff and inmates, and officers smuggling in contraband and drugs. I know this doesn’t represent the majority of staff in our prisons, but the fact remains: it happens.

And unacceptable behaviour isn’t just confined to our prisons. The Inspectorates continue to highlight problems, including racism and discrimination, across the Service. They do a crucial job in highlighting these issues, even if they are, at times, difficult to read.

Some of these stories may not make the front pages in the same way, but they are no less devastating.

Disabled staff, still struggling to get the basic adjustments they need to do their jobs.

Colleagues who have been repeatedly subjected to racist remarks, but keep quiet, because they think nothing will change.

And the cost of this isn’t just reputational. It’s human.

Unacceptable behaviour breaks people. It drives out good staff, the kind we want to keep in the service. It creates a toxic culture.

And it makes it much harder for you to do your jobs – the vital work that turns lives around, cuts crime, and makes our streets safer.

That’s why professional standards matter. They cannot simply be words on paper. They must be reflected in how we treat each other, every day. In every team – on every shift.

And where those standards aren’t met – our staff – and the public – must know that we’ll take swift and decisive action.

To its credit, HMPPS recognised that something needed to be done. That’s why Jennifer was asked to carry out her independent Review in the first place. And I’m delighted both that she agreed to do it, and that we’ve accepted her recommendations in full.

But most of all, I’m grateful to all the staff who spoke up – who shared their stories so honestly, openly, and bravely. You are the reason we can move forward. And you are the reason we must.

And we have to be honest about the problem: this is about more than just a few bad apples.

These are deep rooted cultural issues, and they have been allowed to go on for too long.

But this Government takes its duty seriously, and it is acting.

So, we will fundamentally change how complaints of bullying, harassment and discrimination are dealt with in our Prison and Probation Service.

As Jennifer recommends, and in line with other public services like the Armed Forces, we will create a new unit, sitting jointly between the MoJ and HMPPS, to handle allegations of unacceptable behaviour. And we will fund it in full.

Crucially, this unit will be entirely independent, taking complaints away from the line management hierarchy.

It means staff can have confidence that their concerns will be dealt with properly, fairly, and in absolute confidence. Not by a manager, who may even be complicit in the behaviour, but by a dedicated team of experts.

No more conflicts of interest. No more ‘boys club’ networks.

HMPPS is now working closely with the Trade Unions to develop a model for how the unit will work, including how cases will be triaged, investigated, and resolved. And I appreciate their continued engagement, and challenge.

And we’re going further. This new unit will be overseen by an independent Commissioner, who will report publicly each year on the unit’s work and how bullying, harassment, and discrimination policies are being applied.

This will bring both accountability and progress, as we transform how bullying, harassment and discrimination are dealt with across the Service.

It marks a seismic shift, a major departure from what has gone before.

But it is only the beginning of how we rebuild the trust that has been lost.

As Jennifer recommends, we will introduce new guidance on sexual harassment, which sets out what managers must do in response, and where they can get advice if they are unsure. It makes clear that suspected crimes like sexual assault or rape should be reported to the police, and, crucially, that there is support for victims, and where they can get it.

Moving forward, these sensitive cases will be handled by the new specialist joint unit, so victims know they’ll be listened to in confidence, and supported by people who are properly trained to help.

We will make better use of data, publishing complaints statistics, and outcomes, to bring greater transparency, while protecting staff confidentiality. The goal is simple: to give more people the confidence to speak up, and that their concerns will lead to action.

And we are bringing together the wider professional standards and counter corruption work already underway, so we can spot patterns of unacceptable behaviour earlier…

So we can investigate them properly…

And so we can dismiss those responsible – the people who tarnish your reputation, and damage public trust.

We’re also bolstering the existing Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit. Their work is important, but, as Jennifer sets out in her report, their ‘Climate Assessments’ into the experiences of prison staff haven’t had the intended impact. Too often, staff feel that what they say isn’t acted on.

So, last Autumn, we introduced a new, streamlined approach. Reports now happen faster, with a sharper focus on issues and areas for improvement. And a new team is now in place to support prison leaders directly, helping them to turn those insights into real change on the ground.

But if we want to build a stronger, safer Prison and Probation Service, we also need to change its culture. Getting that right really matters.

Positive culture is the bedrock of every great organisation. The difference between a place where people just work – and a place where they feel proud to belong.

And in any good organisation – any resilient, high performing team – that culture is built on trust, fairness, and mutual respect.

My own approach as CEO of the Timpson Group was always rooted in a culture of kindness. That meant knowing our people. Looking after them when they had a problem. And treating everyone with dignity – as equals.

At Timpson, we won awards for being a great company to work for. And my goal now is just as clear: to make HMPPS a world class organisation – an employer of choice.

The kind of place where anyone would want to work. Where staff bring their best, and achieve their best. Where they can come to work every day, knowing their friends and family would be proud.

That’s about much more than policy and HR processes. Alone, they won’t fix the problem. What we need is a shift in mindset. Fundamentally changing how we think, and respond, when things go wrong.

That brings us back to culture.

We need a culture where everyone feels safe to come to work. Where they know – without a doubt – that if they raise a concern, they’ll be heard. Taken seriously. And that action will follow.

A culture where high professional standards are modelled throughout the Service. Where we don’t just walk by when behaviour falls short – we step up and challenge it.

And a culture where the boundaries are crystal clear. Where there is no doubt about what constitutes unacceptable behaviour. And where there are swift, clear consequences for those who don’t play by the rules.

But culture can’t be imposed from above. It doesn’t come from a mission statement, or sit in a strategy. It lives in our day-to-day actions. It’s what we say. What we do. And it has to be lived, and led, by every member of staff, at every level. A shared journey.

If people aren’t on board with that – this isn’t the job for them.

There is a long road ahead. But we are laying the groundwork for this culture change, and for a safer, more professional workplace.

And let me just emphasise – this work is deeply important to me. I see it as a defining part of my job.

That starts with improving how we recruit our staff.

All good organisations need good people. People who can drive that culture change forward, and become leaders of the future.

As Jennifer outlines, that means raising the bar. It means making sure the staff we bring in don’t just have the right skills, but that they share our values – that they bring the integrity and resilience essential for the role.

So, we are reviewing recruitment across the whole Service. And, following a successful pilot of ‘values-based’ recruitment in Probation, we’re now looking at how we can roll this approach out across the Prison Service, too.

And we are also working with occupational psychologists to study the highest performing Prison officers, identifying what excellence really looks like – to bring more people like them into the Service.

Bringing the right people in is vital. But we also need to keep the wrong people out.

I’m clear – people who don’t reflect HMPPS values, who don’t have the integrity this job demands, shouldn’t be anywhere near a prison or PDU. Or anywhere else in the Service, for that matter.

That’s why we are strengthening vetting. Making it harder for the wrong people to get in, and easier to remove those who breach our high standards.

This year, we introduced online digital vetting checks, to flag people who pose a risk – whether that’s through criminal associations, so crime can’t continue behind prison walls, or through views and behaviours that go against everything we stand for, like racism, misogyny or homophobia.

We’re also taking the fight to corruption, through our Counter Corruption Unit.

Its mission is simple: to detect and prevent corruption right across the Service, and support staff to do the right thing.

The Unit works shoulder-to-shoulder with the police and National Crime Agency, taking a more sophisticated, joined up approach to corruption for the minority who cross the line.

And HMPPS has funded 20 specialist police investigators, focused on rooting out criminal behaviour. In 2024 alone, the Unit prosecuted 37 staff for involvement in corruption.

Finally, we are improving how we train our people.

Before I became a Minister, I led an Independent Review of Prison Officer Training. And while there was good work happening, it was clear that the standard seven-week basic training simply wasn’t doing enough to prepare new recruits for the reality of this incredibly tough job.

A more structured, longer-term approach, with higher standards might mean that we lose more people along the way. But those who stay will be better equipped – and more likely to thrive.

So, I’m pleased (perhaps unsurprisingly, now I’m the Minister!) –  that the review’s recommendations are now being taken forward.

The Enable Programme is transforming initial training, so that officers don’t just have the practical skills they need for the job – but the ethical foundations. And more subtle skills too – how to work well together, and be a great colleague. Because by investing in our people, we are investing in the future of the whole Service.

Taken together, these changes are a solid first step towards a safer, more professional Service.

And I’m grateful to Jennifer, who has agreed to continue working with us as an independent reviewer – to make sure her report is a roadmap for real, lasting change.

But let me finish where I started.

We should all be very angry that people like Jane – hardworking prison officers who we want to join and remain in the Service – have been subject to the most appalling abuse.

And we should all be proud to have officers like those at Frankland – who showed extraordinary courage in the face of great danger.

Both of these stories are part of our reality.

But it’s the bravery and dedication of the Frankland officers, and many like them across the Service, that should define our future.

I want to thank Jennifer again for her thoughtful report, the team that worked with her, and all the staff who bravely shared their experiences.

Professionalism is more than a policy. It’s a commitment to a culture of integrity, respect, and accountability.

High standards are not optional…

For years, others have talked the talk on zero tolerance.

Now this Government will walk the walk.

This is our moment to set a new standard for the future.

To build a culture we can be proud of, and a Prison and Probation Service where anybody would be proud to work.

Let’s get it right, and let’s do it together.

Thank you.