Pepper spray will now be used in young offender institutions in England, where staff are facing violence at a rate 14 times higher than in adult prisons.
The government has authorised specially trained officers to carry and deploy PAVA spray—a synthetic incapacitant—as a last resort to help de-escalate dangerous situations, starting this summer.
Despite a declining number of young people in custody—most of whom are 16- to 18-year-old boys—levels of violence have surged. Assaults on staff at HMYOI Feltham A, HMYOI Werrington, and HMYOI Wetherby rose nearly 25% in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Officers will be allowed to use the spray only in cases of serious violence or an imminent threat.
The policy will be reviewed after 12 months.
The Ministry of Justice said the move aims to protect both staff and young offenders.
Officials hope it will allow institutions to better focus on rehabilitation and reducing reoffending.
Minister for Youth Justice Sir Nic Dakin said:
“This government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis.
The unacceptable levels of violence faced by our brave frontline officers in young offender institutions is yet another symptom of that.
This is not a decision we have made lightly, but our overarching duty is to keep staff and young people in custody safe.
This spray is a vital tool to prevent serious violence, helping staff to focus on rehabilitation as part of our plan for change,” he further said.
Pepper spray is already used in adult prisons and by officers in the community.
In youth institutions, however, it was previously only deployed during the most severe incidents by national tactical response teams.
These teams are centrally based and need high-level authorization to act, often taking more than an hour to arrive—too late for many of the rapidly unfolding incidents.
A senior Ministry of Justice source said many of the boys are physically the same size as adults, and more than two-thirds are serving time for violent offences like murder and grievous bodily harm.
They described a recent violent incident:
“A boy was attacked last Monday by five others who stamped on his head and stabbed him with a handmade weapon.
I’ve got staff here that are putting their bodies in the way to defend and try and prevent injuries happening to young people, and as a result of that they’re being injured themselves.
I think that’s a prime example of where if we’ve got an incapacitant spray like PAVA it could be utilised effectively to defuse the situation and not only prevent significant harm to my staff but also to young people.”
Describing the spray’s effect, the source said it feels like rubbing chillies in your eyes.
“Your eyes burn, they close up, and you get tears and snot—but it passes.
When we tested the spray on ourselves, it took 45 minutes to an hour to wear off. The discomfort varies from person to person.
It means you physically can’t respond in the way you normally do, so that ability to then ask the staff to step in because that person is impacted by it is the crucial stuff,” the source said.
The government hopes this new measure will restore safety and control in youth institutions, giving staff the tools they need to respond to growing levels of violence.
(Sky News)
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