Prisons are a ticking "time bomb" with half of staff saying they don't feel safe at work, a shock new report found.
Low pay and an inability to provide vital rehabilitation support to inmates are among the big issues driving down morale, MPs ruled.
A report by the Commons Justice Committee found eight out of 10 workers are unhappy, amid difficulties recruiting.
The cross-party committee uneartheed concerns about harassment and abuse of workers from prisoners - while there were also widespread concerns about bullying.
Sir Bob Neill, who heads the committee, said: “This is a shocking survey.
"We’ve known as a committee for some time that there are severe staff shortages in prisons and that many prison officers are unhappy with their lot."
He said it is "deeply concerning" that half of staff don't feel safe, adding: "This position is not acceptable.
"The Government risks failing in its duty of care to prison staff and prisoners alike. We are sitting on a potential time bomb.
"It must be defused”.
The findings were based on a survey of more than 6,500 prison staff in England and Wales.
Nearly two thirds of band two staff - who support prison officers with administrative tasks - said they do not feel valued for the work they do.
Meanwhile three quarters of staff in bands three to five, who deal directly with prisoners, agreed with this statement.
Concerns around harassment and safety were highlighted by the survey, with 50% of staff in bands three to five agreeing they do not feel safe at the prison they work in..
More than 70% of staff in band two and more than 80% of personnel in bands three to five said that staff morale is not good at the prison they work in.
Nearly three quarters of staff in bands three to five and 40% of band two staff experienced verbal abuse from prisoners in the last three months.
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