Being a Prison Officer
How do you sum up a job that's so many things rolled into one? Until you've been in a prison, you might think it's just about keeping offenders locked up and under control. There is that aspect to it. You're responsible for security, making sure prisoners keep to the rules, calming tensions, and dealing with difficult and challenging behaviour. But there's much more to it than that.
You'll be working to change people: to show them there's a better way of life than the one that led them to prison. When offenders first enter the prison, they can react in different ways. Whether they're first offenders, on remand or sentenced to life imprisonment, accepting where they are can be hard.
Establishing positive relationships with people calls for understanding, patience and an open mind. This is a complex challenge, balancing authority with a large amount of understanding and compassion. As well as showing different sides of your character, you'll do different types of work. Supervising and taking care of prisoners is part of every Prison Officer's day, and is just one of a whole range of other responsibilities you could take on.
What else does the role involve day to day? You'll carry out security checks and searches, supervise and keep account of prisoners, and maintain order. That will occasionally mean using authorised physical control and restraint procedures. It's also your job to take care of prisoners, their rights and dignity, and their property. You'll keep a close watch on and provide support for prisoners at risk of self harm, promote anti-bullying and carry out suicide prevention policies. All this, plus taking an active part in prisoner rehabilitation programmes, and assessing, advising and reporting fairly on prisoners using your own experiences and integrity.
As you can see, it's no ordinary job. Once you're a Prison Officer, you'll be expected to work a variety of shifts, including nights, weekends and some long days. This said, your normal working week will average 39 hours over the shift cycle, not including your meal breaks.
What about the future? It might surprise you to learn that there are a number of longer-term career opportunities for you as a Prison Officer. You could eventually move into more specialist roles such as Physical Educational Instructor or Dog Handler, or work your way up the career ladder into a Governor or Head Office role. One thing is certain, though: you'll find working in a prison very different from any typical 9-5 job.
