Prison Governor

Job Description:

Prison governors manage prisons, remand centres and young offenders' institutions.

Job Category:

Government & Public Services

See Government & Public Services jobs

What you will do:

As part of your day to day duties, you may:

manage prison security, standards and budgets
supervise prisoners and make inspections
support vulnerable prisoners and those at risk of self-harm
carry out disciplinary procedures
manage and motivate prison staff
update records and write reports
develop the prison to meet government targets, like the control of drugs
work with other professionals, such as medical staff, social workers and probation officers

Skills:

You’ll need:

business management skills
customer service skills
knowledge of human resources and employment law
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

As well as:

leadership skills
the ability to use your initiative (ambition)
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
to be thorough and pay attention to detail (organisational skills)

Illustration of employee looking at workspace

Entry Requirements:

You can get into this job through:

working towards this role
a management training scheme

Work

You may be able to start as a prison officer and work your way up with further training and experience. You’ll need several years’ experience, including line management.

You would generally move into senior management jobs and eventually deputy governorship roles, then governor.

Companies that run private prisons have their own entry requirements. You can find details of privately managed prisons.

Other Routes

You may have an advantage if you’ve got a degree, though it’s not essential. Employers are just as interested in what you’ve achieved throughout your career.

Experience in management and excellent communication skills, as well as assertiveness and integrity, are important.

In the UK, for example, you’ll study for a postgraduate master’s in Applied Custodial Leadership as part of the training.

Working Hours and Environment:

A typical week consists of 37-41 hours of work. You could be required to work evenings/weekends/bank holidays on a rota.

You could work in a prison. Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

Career Path & Progression:

With experience, you could work in a more secure prison. You could also work in the national headquarters. Another option is to work within prison service colleges or training units.