Prison Officer

Ministry of Justice; Oakham; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department is seeking dedicated individuals for the role of prison officer in the UK. This position involves working directly with offenders, building relationships, and contributing to safety in correctional facilities. Candidates must possess empathy, resilience, and strong communication skills. The role requires working various shifts, including weekends, and meeting specific eligibility criteria. This is an excellent opportunity for those seeking a meaningful career in public service.

Benefits

28 days annual leave

Civil Service pension

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Ability to maintain the legal right to work in the UK.
• Passing a medical and fitness assessment is required.
• Meet eyesight and hearing standards.

Responsibilities

• Act as a peacekeeper and support prisoners.
• Build professional relationships with prisoners.
• Work various shifts, including weekends.
• Contribute to the safety of the prison environment.

Skills

Empathy

Communication skills

Resilience

Teamwork

Job description

Overview

This role is not eligible for new Skilled Worker visas in accordance with the current immigration rules. From 22 July 2025, the Government introduced changes to the Skilled Worker visa route. The department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes. If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your vetting checks and eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place. If you are applying for this role and you have not held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom. The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here. An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you. Prison officers protect the public and help make an impact on prisoners\' lives. If you have the integrity, skills and strength of character we\'re looking for, this fast-paced role could be the start of a successful career.

Note: The language has been preserved from the original content where possible.

About the role

There\'s no such thing as a typical prison officer. Our officers come from different walks of life, just like the offenders they work with. Whether you\'re a parent, a teacher, have worked in retail, the armed forces, or just feel like you\'re a natural people person, you\'ll have the empathy, self-confidence, great communication skills and resilience we want. No matter the challenge, you\'ll take the time to build constructive, positive and professional relationships with prisoners who could be at the lowest point in their lives. Teamwork plays a vital role in this environment, so you\'ll need to be fully committed to supporting your colleagues and understand the importance of acting as one team to keep the prison, and everyone who works here safe. You will be required to work various shifts and some weekends.

In this unique career, you\'ll have the opportunity to carry out many different roles in any one day. One minute you\'re a peacekeeper, the next you\'re a counsellor or a teacher. You\'ll work directly with prisoners in a unique environment, helping to protect the public and make a positive impact.

Organisation and policy context

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Reasonable Adjustment & Veterans

Reasonable Adjustment Support As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ is committed to ensuring that everyone can demonstrate their skills, talent, and abilities. Offering reasonable adjustment support to candidates when they apply for one of our jobs is just one way we do this. Before completing online tests or attending an online assessment centre, it is essential to arrange reasonable adjustment support. Due to practical and logistical constraints, our assessors cannot accommodate requests on the day of the assessment centre. Therefore, we kindly request that you let us know in plenty of time if adjustments are required. This will help ensure the right support is in place for you when you need it.

Veterans The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces. For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are \"at risk of redundancy\". MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate\'s will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Interactive activity What\'s it really like to work as a prison officer? Our interactive online activity will give you an insight into some of the situations prison officers may experience day-to-day in their work. This is to help you decide whether the prison officer role is right for you, and your responses in the activity will not form part of your application. You can access the activity here.

Security, language and AI

The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh. Level of security checks required DBS Enhanced. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Mandatory eligibility statements:
· be at least 18 years old at the point you commence employment

• meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements (see nationality requirements section below)
• as this is a physically active job, you will need to pass a medical and fitness assessment as part of the application process
• meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes (both with and without corrective lenses)
• For safety reasons, everyone training to be a prison officer needs a suitable standard of hearing (without the use of hearing aids)
• Whilst tattoos are permitted, including those that are visible, they must not be deemed as offensive, discriminatory, violent, or intimidating in any way. Facial tattoos are generally not acceptable, except where this is for cultural, religious, or medical reasons.
• To work in a high security prison (category A) you must have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years.

Travel to Work: Some prison establishments are situated in rural locations with limited public transport options; therefore, a driving licence and own transport is beneficial but is not an essential requirement of the role (unless specified). Please note that shift start, and finish times are fixed, and it is your responsibility to get to and from your place of work on time for the start of your shift. Please carefully consider the location of this vacancy and your transport options before applying.

Salary and hours: Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom. The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours. 37 hours a week = £35,746 a year; 39 hours a week = £37,875 a year; 41 hours a week = £40,003 a year. All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances that are applicable to the role/location. 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. You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours.

• 25 days\' annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years\' service)
• paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day
• Civil Service pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits