The Ministry of Justice has been criticised for advertising a £115,000 contract to hire professional actors who will play the deceased relatives of prisoners in role-play training exercises. The scheme is designed to help family liaison officers practise breaking the news of an inmate's death, but critics say it represents poor value for money at a time when the prison system is under severe strain, with dangerous offenders being released early due to overcrowding.

The contract, running over five years, would fund two actors per two-day session, working from a brief on their fictional relationship, emotions and background rather than a fixed script, before giving feedback on how officers handled the conversation. Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith branded the plan "bonkers", arguing senior prison officers were better placed to deliver such training and that money should instead go towards building temporary prisons. The Prison and Probation Service defended the cost, noting it covers five years and that comparisons to a single annual salary are misleading. The row comes as ministers face pressure over early releases, including two killers of PC Andrew Harper.