How to become a Prison Officer

What does a Prison Officer do?

Want to unlock a better career? You should become a Prison Officer…Prison Officers supervise, train, and rehabilitate prisoners.Their role is based on ensuring everyone in their custody is living in a healthy, safe, and secure environment. This involves performing regular security checks and searches, whilst maintaining a good level of order and routine.Aside from overseeing prisoners’ overall welfare, Prison Officers are also responsible for building trust with inmates – and helping to support those who are particularly vulnerable.Key duties for a Prison Officer could include:

Taking new prisoners in, and providing the correct clothing
Carrying out supervision and patrolling the prison grounds
Escorting prisoners on external trips
Asserting authority in disordered situations
Running anti-bullying workshops
Writing reports, records, and other documentation
Preparing prisoners for release

Is a career as a Prison Officer right for me?

An ability to assert authority in a non-discriminatory manner is absolutely essential if you want to be a Prison Officer.You must also be an excellent communicator, with a knack for listening, negotiating, and building trust – even with the most difficult people. If you’re good at making people follow the rules, without it resulting in them resenting you – this role could be for you.And because you might have to deal with abusive or potentially violent people, an ability to diffuse tough situations and cope with the pressure involved is vital.You’ll also need to be:

Good at working in a team
Assertive
Mature
An excellent problem solver
Responsible and resilient
Confident and self-motivated

Explore your opportunities

Prison Officer courses (58)

Prison Officer jobs (128)

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Career progression and salary expectations for a Prison Officer

Junior Prison Officer

| Up to £20,000

Prison Officer

| Up to £30,000

Senior Prison Officer

| Up to £35,000

Get qualified as a Prison Officer

You won’t need a degree to become a Prison Officer, and employers will place most precedence on your work experience and personal qualities. However, you will need to pass a number of numeracy assessments and fitness/medical tests as part of the application process. Candidates must also be over 18 and have been a UK resident for three years or more.

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What's it like to be a Prison Officer?

"Being a Prison Officer is tough – but that doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly rewarding. Although it can mean breaking up a fair number of fights and disagreements, I find that this just makes my job even more important. After all, sometimes it takes is a neutral approach to calm both parties. Most days are spent providing order and routine to the inmates, whilst giving supervision and guidance. In fact, I’ve developed good friendships with a number of the prisoners, and my encouragement has meant that I’ve also seen clear reformation in their attitudes. Building up trust is the hard part, but once you’ve got that – you’ll find that everyone is a lot more amiable with you. And no, it’s nothing like Porridge…"