Become a prison leader

Could you work effectively with people from all walks of life, stay calm under intense pressure, meet targets, manage budgets, and make sure hundreds of people get their meals, can access education, and are kept safe?

Then perhaps you have what it takes to become one of our future prison leaders.

The role of the Prison Service

Her Majesty's Prison Service serves the public by keeping in custody those committed by the courts. But our role isn’t purely to keep offenders locked up. As well as treating prisoners humanely and decently, we have a duty to help them lead law-abiding and useful lives – both in custody and after release. Finding the right balance between punishment and reform is fundamental to reducing crime and delivering justice. To achieve that goal we will:

• provide safe and well-ordered establishments in which we treat prisoners humanely, decently and lawfully   
• work in close partnership with other agencies in the Criminal Justice System to achieve common objectives
• promote diversity, equality of opportunity and combat unlawful discrimination
• ensure our staff have the right leadership, organisation, support and preparation to carry out their work effectively

What is NOMS?

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is an agency of the Ministry of Justice. Our aim is to protect the public and reduce the risk of re-offending by managing offenders effectively, both in prison and out in the community. We’re responsible for the Prison Service and the Probation Service, which enables us to provide end-to-end management of offenders. As well as enforcing the punishment aspect of a custodial sentence, we coordinate health, educational, employment and housing opportunities for offenders. That focus on the rehabilitation of offenders is very important. By showing them a way of life that doesn’t involve crime, we believe we can help them play a more positive role in the communities they live in.

What can a career in the Prison Service lead to?

The Prison Service is a complex and diverse organisation. We manage over 130 prisons, ranging from local prisons and young offender institutions to remand centres and high security prisons. These establishments house more than 83,500 offenders and are run by a 45,000 strong prison team.

Opportunities that extend beyond the prison walls

On the basis of that alone, we can provide talented people managers like you with a huge range of challenges and opportunities. But thanks to a strong focus on rehabilitation, our remit (and your potential career path) extends far beyond the four walls of our various establishments. For example, we work closely with the Youth Justice Board, the UK Border agency and various organisations in the public, private and voluntary sector to run a range of education and training programmes. These programmes play a vital role in helping offenders develop the skills they need to re-integrate back into society. And the relationships we’ve developed could broaden your expertise too.

A route into the Ministry of Justice

Plus, as an agency of the Ministry of Justice, we regularly liaise with government departments to help protect the public and support the victims of crime. These partnerships could lead to you working alongside government ministers; a role that would see you become a main point of liaison between NOMS and the Ministry of Justice.

www.hmprisons.gov.uk/prisonleaders

"