Drop in staff sick leave in early 2007 breaks trend

SICK leave in prisons fell in the first four months of this year, halting an alarming upward trend.

Total sick days for the first quarter of 2007 fell to 22,765 from the comparable 2006 figure of 24,893.

However, the level of sick leave in the prison service over the period 2002-2006 showed a deterioration from the average level per officer of 19 days in 2004 to an average in excess of 26 days in 2006.