Justice Secretary determined to keep prison staff safe as Tasers trial starts
Independent1 day
UK Prisons Begin Taser Trial to Combat Record Violence
Above: A Taser demonstration at the Operational Response & Resilience Unit training site in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, on July 24, 2025. Image copyright: Jacob King/PA Images/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The new trial will examine the potential role of Tasers in U.K. prisons. The scheme, which is entrusted to specialist officers, will collect much-needed data that will inform any future decisions the Ministry of Justice makes regarding the Taser’s roll-out, ensuring that the government makes the correct choices.
Narrative B
While the Ministry of Justice’s Taser trial is welcome, more is needed to protect prison staff amid rising violence. The U.K. government must urgently consider the creation of "supermax" facilities for the worst offenders and immediately issue stab-proof vests to officers working in high-security prisons and segregation units.