Major report calls for fundamental reform to the prison officer role

Its recommendations include the establishment of a professional registration system similar to that used in nursing, and the involvement of prisoners in the design and delivery of prison officer training. 

Written by PRT’s former director and former prison governor Peter Dawson, the report’s findings are based on evidence gathered through focus groups with prisoners held in seven prisons in England and Wales. 

The report says that the prison service stands at a crucial turning point, with only a minority of current staff having direct experience of the traditional relationship-based model of prison management that has historically characterised the English and Welsh prison system. 

Key findings: 

• The current prison officer workforce faces unprecedented challenges stemming from staffing cuts made from 2012 onwards leading to a significant loss of experienced staff, and subsequent rapid recruitment of new staff to address shortages 

• The traditional model of prison management, based on face-to-face relationships between officers and prisoners, is at risk of being lost due to high staff turnover and systemic pressures 

• Prisoners consistently identified building rapport as the most crucial skill for effective prison officers 

• Technology could potentially reduce some burdens on officers, allowing more time for relationship-building with prisoners 

The report emphasises that while working towards prisoners’ successful return to society remains important, prisons must also focus on creating meaningful lives for those in custody, particularly given the increasing number of prisoners serving very long sentences. 

“With so many prisoners spending many or all of their most productive years in the care of the prison service, that time has to have meaning in itself as well as hope for what might follow it,” the report states. 

While acknowledging the current operational challenges facing the prison service, the report argues that these should not prevent the implementation of necessary strategic reforms to create a more professional and effective prison officer workforce for the future. 

The report calls for: 

1. A professional registration system: Implementation of a mandatory registration system for prison officers, similar to nursing, requiring regular renewal and ongoing professional development
2. Enhanced training: A radical enhancement of initial training, professional development, and supervision for prison officers
3. Improved management structure: Introduction of a maximum ratio of one manager to ten officers, with regular face-to-face observation of officer-prisoner interactions
4. Prisoner involvement: Greater involvement of prisoners in both the design and delivery of officer training and development programs
5. Board-level accountability: Appointment of an HR professional at board level with specific responsibility for implementing these reforms

The prison service has recently launched a new prison officer training programme called Enable, which is being piloted in a few select sites. The programme aims to improve how prison officer training is delivered, the length of training officers receive and crucially the support, leadership and psychological environment required to make the training process meaningful.