Home Office data shows that the highest-paid prisoners in Britain are earning more than the officers who guard them, with the inmate who received the highest salary in 2023 earning £35,715 – compared to an average of £28,000 for police officers and £24,000 for new recruits.
The numbers, obtained by The Telegraph through a freedom of information request, relate to inmates at low-security open prisons who are allowed to work outside the facilities so long as they’re back behind bars each night.
Popular professions include lorry driving and wages are subject to tax, court fines and a victim levy of up to 40%, according to the Prison Service.
Despite this, some prisoners are raking in earnings on par with midwives, biochemists and psychotherapists, according to information from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), all of whom make under £40,000 per year on average.
Reports show that the total pay handed to prisoners last year was £22.5 million, with around 1,183 inmates employed each month.
The MoJ reportedly admitted that two other prisoners also took home net sums of over £30,000 in 2023, while seven more deposited upwards of £22,900 into private bank accounts.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service told the newspaper: “Some offenders, towards the end of their sentence, recieve a release on temporary licence. This sees them spend some of their day in the community, often working, before returning to prison.
“Time spent working in the community significantly reduces a prisoner’s likelihood of reoffending, cutting crime and making our streets safer.”
