JOBS have been offered to 24 people to become officers at Lewes Prison.

Each will receive an increased starting salary of £26,500, Lewes MP Maria Caulfield said yesterday.

The news came when she asked Justice Minister Sam Gyimah how Government plans to improve prisons were progressing during the last chance to question him in the House of Commons before the General Election.

She said: “I am pleased the Government’s prison reforms are working here in Lewes. This will ensure that there are enough staff to keep themselves and prisoners safe. The increased starting salary will ensure greater staff retention and morale.

“These improvements will lead to better working conditions and help to reduce reoffending rates, which is great news.”

Since December there were more than 100 applications for the jobs at Lewes, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said. Earlier this year it was announced new recruits would be given higher starting salaries and a pay boost of up to £5,000 at 31 prisons where there were staff shortages. About £12 million would be funnelled into prisons in the South East, the MOJ said.

But the Prison Officers Association claimed the offer was “divisive” as it did not benefit all staff.

Earlier this month it emerged just five per cent of prison officers in England and Wales would receive the rise, which was claimed not to have been mentioned by Justice Secretary Liz Truss when she announced the reforms.

The MOJ said it had always been made clear pay would be increased at 31 “targeted prisons”.

In December it was announced a new governor and deputy would be drafted in to run Lewes Prison after it was put into special measures.

Jim Bourke and his second-in-command Tony Williams will move on to jobs at the prison service’s headquarters to make way for a new leadership team.