Prison Officer Uniform and Equipment: What Officers Carry

In shortA new contract from July 2026 brings utility polo tops and black trousers, per a POA circular; local rollout dates may differ.

HMPPS prison officer uniform has been black and white for decades. According to a Prison Officers' Association circular published in March 2026, a new uniform contract starts in July 2026 under which uniformed staff receive utility polo tops and black utility trousers.

This is a union circular, not an HMPPS publication, and local rollout dates may differ. The wider officer pay picture is on our pay bands page.

In shortKeys and radios are everyday tools; handcuffs, baton, PAVA, camera and body armour each have their own framework rule.

The table lists the main items. Sources are the HMPPS Use of Force Policy Framework (re-issued 11 September 2025), the Body Worn Video Cameras Policy Framework (20 September 2022) and the careers site training page. Items depend on the establishment type; see the next section.

The careers site training page says new officers do e-learning on using and managing prison keys and prison security processes, and the foundation course covers the use of prison radios and keys.

Losing or misusing keys is treated seriously: the Exclusion policy lists serious security breaches involving keys, locks, radios, uniform and equipment among behaviours that bear on trust.

In shortThe framework is explicit that the carry rules vary by estate; always follow your establishment's policy and training.

PECS escort staff use ratchet cuffs as well as RBH, covered in prison escort officer. The adult framework is not written for under-18 YOIs; see youth custody officer.

Closed adult male

Trained operational Band 3 to 5 officers must carry a baton, PAVA and (as personal issue) RBH.

Adult male open

PAVA only by trained Band 3 to 5s working in night state; batons only in category D establishments at night, for security escorts or when moving prisoners to closed conditions.

Women's and youth

Local staff must not carry a baton. For handcuffs, RBH must be carried on bed watches and escorts, and the decision to prohibit carrying in certain areas of women's and open estates must be data-driven, recorded and reviewed quarterly.

PE instructors

In public sector prisons must carry a baton, PAVA and RBH unless there is a health and safety risk, agreed locally.

Specialist teams

Tornado and ORRU have their own authority to carry equipment into other establishments.

In shortBody armour is mandatory only in specific high-security areas, and Taser is a specialist capability for a limited number of staff.

In shortThe kit is dangerous if it gets out, so storage, carrying outside and loss each have detailed rules and reporting chains.

In shortCarrying use of force kit needs initial training and annual refreshers: 8 hours of practical skills plus mandatory e-learning.

• Initial training10-day induction + 7 weeksAbout nine to ten weeks
• Annual refresher8 hoursPractical skills plus mandatory e-learning modules
• After extended leaveWithin 3 monthsIf no training in the previous 12 months
• Body-worn camera trainingWithin 90 daysOf first drawing a camera

The framework says all new Band 3 officers are trained in the use of force curriculum during initial training, assessed against competence criteria and issued with a logbook certifying competence that is updated at each refresher. Personal safety training happens in initial training too; see POELT training.

All front-line Band 3 to 5 staff must attend use of force training annually. Staff returning from extended sick leave, maternity leave or a career break without training in the previous 12 months must complete refresher training as soon as possible and at the latest within 3 months of resuming duty.

In shortThe framework applies to HMPPS in England and Wales only; SPS, NIPS and OSG rules are separate or unverified here.

SPS and NIPS have separate equipment rules that we have not verified here. The Northern Ireland Prison Service's July 2026 Custody Prison Officer advert listed a boot allowance of £92.80 alongside a supplementary risk allowance of £4,284, which shows that kit-related allowances can be part of the package elsewhere, but check the current NIPS terms.

In shortYou do not need to buy a uniform before you start; ask for a kit list at induction.

The careers site says you are paid full pay and expenses during training and that the foundation course covers keys, radios and control and restraint. What you will not see on the public pages is a kit list. Handcuffs and the key are personal issue on completion of training under the framework.

Be realistic about weight, heat and movement. The new black uniform and any body armour in high-security areas are designed to be worn for long shifts, but staff concerns about weight were part of why HMPPS did not mandate vests for all officers in 2025.