What makes a great prison officer? It might not be what you think.
You don’t need specific qualifications. Personal qualities are more important.
You don’t need specific experience either. We’ve worked in sectors from retail and care, to security and the Armed Forces. Our backgrounds make us different, but together we share the same goal – to make an impact.
Skills
To be a prison officer you need:
- empathy
- great communication skills
- self-confidence
- an ability to think on your feet
- resilience
- to be a team player
Specific skills you need to work in a women’s prison
The reasons women commit crime can be quite complex and they have often experienced trauma in their lives. You need to be mindful of this when working with women in custody.
You need:
- to be able to build trust with the women so you can build positive working relationships
- an ability to recognise when a woman is going through a crisis so you can provide support
- the confidence to intervene and de-escalate situations that could potentially become harmful for the individual and others