Build an extraordinary leadership career with real purpose and make an impact
The Future Prison Leaders Programme comes with real variety, with no 2 days ever being the same. The satisfaction you’ll feel from the positive impact you are making on lives inside and outside the prison will be unmatched.
The opportunity to train and progress will be around every corner:
- You’ll spend your first year on the frontline as a prison officer.
- In your second year, you’ll progress to working as a custodial manager, a senior uniformed officer managing a team of prison officers.
- You will transition to heading up your own department in your third year.
During your time on the leadership programme, you will work in different types of prison. This will give you first-hand experience of what it’s like working in different prisons such as training or local prisons, high security prisons, women’s prisons and young offender institutions. Essential experience for a future prison leader!
Read more about prison categories.
Working hours
Working in a prison isn’t your regular 9 to 5 job. Prisons operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
As a prison officer and custodial manager, you will work 37 hours a week and need to work shifts, including some nights, weekends and public and bank holidays. Any public or bank holidays you work will be added to your annual leave allowance.
Heads of prison departments (heads of function) work a minimum of 37 hours a week and may need to work extra hours to oversee any incidents. As they are responsible for key prison functions, they work flexible working patterns including weekends, evenings and nights.