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Prison should lead to more than a return visit

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Niyi, 2020 cohort

Prison should lead to more than a return visit

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A Day in the Life Back to top

There is no such thing as a typical day for a prison officer.

The regime provides a structure, but you could be working on the wing, inducting new arrivals, escorting a prisoner to court, or doing security checks. Read on for an example of 24 hours as an Unlocked Graduate.

  1. Start time: 07:00
    Arrival
    The first thing I do when getting in is pick up my gear. Your belt is pretty heavy when keys, radio and the (rarely used) baton are in place. We also have body-worn cameras, which can be a great de-escalation tool.

  2. Start time: 07:30
    Team meeting
    We get together regularly to discuss issues on the wing. Meetings include officers as well as psychologists, nurses and others. I might present a new idea for the wing – our mentors regularly challenge us to trial new ideas and try to improve things that don’t work.

  3. Start time: 08:00
    Unlocking
    I’m responsible for the people on my wing, so the day starts with unlocking. Greeting them all individually might seem small, but it makes a big difference – and it’s my first chance to get a sense for how everyone is feeling.

  4. Start time: 10:00
    Out to work
    Prisoners can access a range of purposeful activities, usually work or education. Sometimes they might need encouragement to stick with it – but it’s really satisfying when someone discovers a skill, or learns how to read and write.

  5. Start time: 13:30
    Gather intel
    We do regular searches, checking for contraband like drugs and phones – looking to build up a bigger picture from little details. From changing power dynamics between prisoners to new nicknames, this intelligence-gathering is essential to spot problems early and keep everyone safe.

  6. Start time: 15:00
    Association
    This is free time for the prisoners. It’s a chance for them to relax – and for us to get to know them a bit better. Building effective relationships is critical if we are going to support them to change offending behaviour.

  7. Start time: 16:00
    Training
    As an Unlocked Graduate I have regular training with my mentor and the other grads on the programme. This is a great chance to brush up on specific skills or share challenges. These sessions link well to the regular study days where we tackle more academic content.

  8. Start time: 20:30
    Nightshift
    About three times a year I have night shifts. Most of the time it’s quieter than during the day but if a cell bell rings, I have to be ready to assist a prisoner – no matter how late. On the plus side, a week on nights is always followed by a week of leave which is great if I have an assignment due!

#Want to know more? This video gives more insights into the typical day for a prison officer.

#Prison officers are uniquely positioned to identify challenges in the lives of prisoners and across the prison system as a whole.

Check out just a few examples of how Unlocked participants are making a real difference by coming up with innovative solutions in their day to day:

Play the video “Opportunities on the Programme”
Opportunities on the Programme
Karan explains an opportunity he identified to improve operations at HMYOI Aylesbury.
Play the video “How John made an impact”
How John made an impact
John discusses how he used quizzes to engage prisoners in his prison during the pandemic.
Play the video “How Georgia made it count”
How Georgia made it count
Find out how Georgia identified an issue and went about solving it.
Play the video “Leigh-Anne’s Project”
Leigh-Anne’s Project
Leigh-Anne shares how she is helping prisoners get active outdoors at HMP Isis.

#Think you might be up for the challenge?

More than anything else, being a prison officer means having to quickly assess new situations and weigh up different options. Our interactive test below gives you the opportunity to try some real-life scenarios from the landings.

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Explore some real life prison scenarios

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