About Us
Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). HMPPS works with its partners to carry out the sentences given by the courts, either in custody or the community. It aims to reduce reoffending by rehabilitating the people in its care through education and employment. The agency is made up of Her Majesty’s Prison Service, the National Probation Service and a headquarters focused on creating tools and learning.
Careers with a difference
Prison and probation jobs are tough and rewarding.
Play your part in helping to turn lives around. Receive great training, benefits and career opportunities in return.
Civil Service Benefits:
25 days annual holiday
Pension schemes of up to 20% of your salary
Cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits
Training & Support
Probation and prison service jobs offer you support and training at every step of your career.
From initial training to on-going specialist courses, you will be able to advance and develop.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
We welcome and encourage applications from everyone irrespective of background, identity, experience or circumstance, and particularly those underrepresented in our workforce. We strive for a workforce that is representative of our society and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice.
When people come to work for us we want them to feel safe and that they belong, are treated with empathy and respect, and have the support and solidarity of their colleagues and managers, so we can all deliver our services fairly and in response to individual needs. In joining us, you join an organisation which is committed to the values of humanity, openness, together and purpose.
Find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Career Areas
Operational Support
As an operational support grade (OSG), you’ll play a key role in supporting the smooth and safe running of the prison.
You’ll be part of a supportive team doing all sorts of things – from security and searches at the gate, to managing deliveries, supervising visitors, and monitoring phone calls and CCTV. It is a varied and active job.
The OSG job is a prison support role. Unlike our prison officers, your contact with prisoners tends to be limited. Although, depending on the prison, you may interact with prisoners occasionally.
You’ll need to be a good communicator, team player and keep calm under pressure.
The OSG role will give you significant knowledge and experience of how a prison operates. It can provide opportunities to move into other prison jobs.
- £25,000 - £31,000 per year for a 37 hour week
- No qualifications needed
- Must have basic maths, spelling, grammar, IT skills and speak fluent English
- An opportunity to gain an apprenticeship and progress your career
For further details click here
To find jobs vacancies for this role click here!
Prison Officer
Working in a prison is a truly unique experience. No two shifts are the same. You’ve got to be resilient, confident and a great communicator.
Our prison officers perform a vital role in society, in an environment like no other. We are peacekeepers, teachers, counsellors. You could be too.
As a prison officer, you’ll be part of a diverse team doing meaningful work in our prisons.
You’ll work with a range of people and perform a variety of tasks – from keeping the prison safe and secure, to helping vulnerable people through a difficult time in their lives.
Prisons can be unpredictable, but it’s about working together and keeping calm under pressure while enjoying the little things, like helping a prisoner learn a new skill or teaching them to view things from a new perspective.
It can be a challenging job, but in return you’ll get good pay, training and benefits, and have the support of a strong team.
- Starting salary of £32k to £38k for a 39 hour week
- No qualifications needed
- A physically active job, requiring a medical and fitness assessment
- Skills you need: resilience, an ability to think on your feet, great communication skills, a team player
For more information visit our page!
Prison caterer
This is not your average catering job. Working as a prison caterer is a great opportunity to put your catering skills and qualifications into practice, while making an impact far beyond the kitchen.
You’ll work as part of a team to prepare and cook meals for every prisoner, every day.
Working in an industrial-sized kitchen, your day will be meticulously planned. But you’ll need to be prepared for when things happen that throw you off schedule – such is the nature of working in a prison.
The one thing that needs to stay constant is that everyone knows they will get a nutritious meal.
That is where you come in. You’ll need to be resourceful, flexible, efficient, creative, and have a ‘can do’ attitude.
The quality of food has a real impact on prisoners’ morale, so your skills and experience will play an essential part in helping the prison kitchen run smoothly.
As well as working alongside prisoners, you’ll take an active role in supervising them. You will help individuals learn valuable catering skills which they can use when they leave custody and potentially help increase their chances of employment.
- Starting salary of $30k to £36k for a 37 hour week
- Must have minimum level-2 certificate in food hygiene and food production in hospitality
- Support and coach prisoners to learn catering skills
- Gain vocational qualification at level 3 (if you do not already have one)
- Skills you need: experience of working in an industrial-sized kitchen, resourceful and supportive
- No early starts, late nights or split shifts
For more information about the role or to find jobs click here.
HM Prisons & Probation Service offer a wide range of other career paths including:
To find out more visit: https://prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk/
