Prison officer
A prison officer has responsibility for the security, supervision, training and rehabilitation of people committed to prison by the courts. This includes motivating prisoners to do what is best for themselves and others around them within a safe and healthy environment.
In addition to their custodial duties, prison officers must be able to establish and maintain positive working relationships with prisoners, balancing authority with a large amount of understanding and compassion, in order to effect rehabilitation.
The nature of the role demands the ability to think on your feet, make quick decisions and deal effectively with unexpected situations.
Some aspects of the work vary according to the type of prison and level of security, e.g. category A prisoners require closer supervision than category C. However, typical work activities include:
Higher grade prison officers have extra responsibilities, such as supervising other officers or looking after an area or wing of the prison.
To become a prison officer:
In addition, you must not be an undischarged bankrupt or belong to a group or organisation that the Prison Service considers racist. Appointed prison officers must be aged between 18 and 62 (63 in Scotland).
A degree is only essential for entry onto the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Graduate Programme .
The NOMS Graduate Programme in England and Wales is designed to attract high-calibre candidates who have the potential to develop quickly and to rise to the highest levels in the service. (There is no such scheme in Scotland.) To apply to the programme, you must either have or be expected to achieve a 2:1 degree. Applications are invited each autumn, with places offered by April.
If candidates pass the application form stage, they are invited to complete a series of online numerical reasoning tests. Those successful at that stage are invited to attend a Job Simulation Assessment Centre (JSAC) where you will take part in four filmed role play simulations to asses your aptitude for the role. At the final stage, candidates will complete a written test and interview.
All candidates need to show evidence of the following:
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
For all prison officers, the first week is spent getting to know the departments of the prison and how they work. This is followed by an intensive course at a training college aimed at developing the ability to work with prisoners. The entry-level training course lasts eight weeks (six in Scotland). Officers learn control and restraint techniques, search and security procedures, and court duties. There is also a focus on developing interpersonal and communication skills. On returning to prison, officers are given a brief induction course. They are then supervised by more experienced officers once the work as a prison officer really begins.
For those on the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Graduate Programme , the route first involves completing full training to become a prison officer, followed by 12-18 months carrying out the full range of prison officer duties. Progression is then to senior officer, with responsibility for a group of staff, and then to operational manager (a middle management governor position). At each stage, candidates sit the key assessments and are supported by the leadership and management development programme, with both on and off-the-job mentors and a dedicated training programme. Within three years of joining the scheme, graduates could be head of a busy unit or function within a prison.
The probation period for prison officers is one year in England and Wales, during which time an NVQ Level 3 in Custodial Care must be completed. In Scotland, new officers also have a one-year probation period but must obtain SVQ Level 3 in Custodial Care within the first two years.
There is regular physical training and prison officers must pass a fitness test every year.
Increasing emphasis is placed on developing people on the job. As prison officers gain experience, training becomes more tailored to individual development needs, for example, there are a number of management training opportunities available.
Opportunities for promotion exist throughout the Prison Service in Scotland, England and Wales. Posts involving greater responsibilities and staff management form the obvious promotion pathway. Other opportunities include work at training or service headquarters, or work within specialist projects in the service, such as rehabilitative work with specific groups of prisoners or their families.
Officers with ability are encouraged to apply for promotion as soon as they feel ready. This involves going through a series of selection procedures designed to assess skills and the ability to operate at the next level. There are four levels to aim for in England and Wales:
Opportunities may also arise for secondments to other establishments and for appointments at HM Prison Service London headquarters and area offices throughout England and Wales.
In Scotland, promotion for officers is available at first-line managerial and senior managerial levels. Having completed the probationary period of one year, officers are able to apply for promotions and will be assessed on individual merit and ability. Career development follows a more structured pathway on the intensive NOMS leadership programmes for graduates and in-service staff in England and Wales.
Specialist prison officer posts are also available but may require qualifications in the relevant specialism, such as healthcare or nursing. All specialist officers are first and foremost prison officers and undergo the same training. Physical education officers are also employed but they are not recruited directly, rather they are selected from serving officers.
The requirements of managerial posts vary based on management experience and qualifications. Prison officers are required to satisfy these standards in a similar way to anyone with a non-prison background.
Prison governors have overall responsibility for the management of a team that includes prison officers, duty governors and other staff. Progression to this challenging but rewarding role is possible through the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Graduate Programme and/or after gaining relevant experience within HM Prison Service.
The main employer of prison officers in Scotland, England and Wales is the Prison Service. The Scottish Prison Service operates independently of HM Prison Service in England and Wales. The Prison Service in England and Wales employs approximately 50,695 staff in over 130 establishments with a population of more than 84,000 prisoners (Office of Manpower Economics, 2010-2011). In Scotland there are 4,300 staff and 7,853 prisoners spread across 15 prisons (Scottish Prison Service, 2011).
A number of prisons (currently 11) in England and Wales now operate under private contract and are consequently responsible for their own recruitment. Private prisons may also differ in other respects from the majority of prisons, but they are governed by the same Home Office rules and regulations.
Prison officer opportunities also exist in remand centres, young offenders' institutions and open or resettlement prisons. For more information about young offenders' institutions see Directgov - Young People and Custody .
Applicants in England and Wales should contact the personnel department at their preferred prison for vacancy details. Recruitment for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Graduate Programme is centralised. It is usually supported by an advertising campaign and website, and is publicised through many of the resources listed above. Recruitment in Scotland is centralised through the Scottish Prison Service, and in Northern Ireland through the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
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