A youth jail where kids carry knives has the highest prison staff sickness rates in England.
A total of 82 attacks on officers took place in six months last year at Werrington institution for 15 to 18-year-olds in Staffordshire.
Inspectors found inmates carried weapons because they say staff can’t keep them safe.
Ministry of Justice figures show 18.5% of officers were off sick on September 20.
Mick Pimblett, of the Prison Officers’ Association, said they were “burnt out”. He blamed low pay and staff shortages, adding: “The Prison Service is in crisis.”
Second in the league table with a 14.08% rate was category B Garth jail in Lancashire with about 800 inmates, most in for violence and sex crimes.
Staff sickness last year was 80% higher than in 2017, the top reasons being mental and behavioural disorders.
The Prison Service said: “We’re strengthening our extensive mental health support and clamping down on violence.”
