Where every day is different and every prison officer is too.
Our prison officers come from all walks of life. Join us and you’ll be part of a diverse team working to reduce reoffending and transform lives.
There’s no typical day as a prison officer. You could be a negotiator or referee one minute, a mentor the next. Every shift is different, but each one is an opportunity to make a difference in a prisoner’s life.
As a key worker, you’ll work with a range of people and perform a variety of tasks – from keeping the prison safe and secure, to helping vulnerable people through a difficult time in their lives.
It’s hard work but it matters.
Daily life
There is no such thing as a typical day. Life can depend on the prison, its level of security and the prisoners.
Shifts
Prisons operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you will have to cover various shift patterns that will include evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance). Most prisons work with a changing shift pattern of 39 hours a week.
Shifts usually follow regular hours although the start and finish time may vary depending on your prison. An example shift pattern is shown below.
| Start | Finish | |
|---|---|---|
| Early | 7.00am | 12.30pm |
| Late | 12.00pm | 8.00pm |
| Main | 8.00am | 5.00pm |
| All day | 8.00am | 8.00pm |
| Nights | 8.45pm | 7.30am |
Key worker
As a prison officer, you will be a key worker with responsibility for around 6 offenders.
You will meet with the individuals on a regular basis to support their rehabilitation. This might involve encouraging participation in education, substance recovery programmes and maintaining links with family members.
Inside prison
The offenders you work with will depend on the prison.
Types of prisons
Prisons are split according to male, female and young offenders. Some prisons serve local courts and hold prisoners before, during and immediately after a trial. Others have long-term prisoners serving out the majority of their sentence.
- Category A – High security prison – houses offenders that would pose the most threat to the public, the police or national security should they escape.
- Category B – Core local prison – houses offenders that are taken directly from courts in the area, either sentenced or on remand.
- Category C – Training prison – provides offenders with opportunities for developing skills so they can find work on release.
- Category D – Open prison – allows offenders to spend most of the day away from the prison carrying out work whilst on licence.
- Young offender institution (YOI) – prisons that house offenders aged between 18 and 21.
Find out more about prison categories
Youth custody
Young people under 18 who have been remanded or sentenced to periods of detention by the courts are held in specialist youth custody locations.
As a youth justice worker you will learn specialist skills and techniques for working with young people.
