Being a Prison Officer is for people who have the ability to relate to other people, are comfortable with themselves and their values and have strong communication skills – it is all about your communication skills.

Most of the prisoners haven’t managed their lives very well, but nevertheless, will respond well when treated with some dignity and respect. As a Prison Officer, you can come from any background, as long as you have the right skills and attitude.

Whilst studying Criminal Justice at university, I was extremely intrigued by the alarming increase in the number of women sentenced or remanded in prison custody and the high rates of recidivism.

I researched the role of a Prison Officer and decided to apply for the position. I felt that, if successful, I would be able to assist the women in custody better understand the complex range of issues that lead to their offending behaviour in the hope of promoting positive behaviour change and, in turn, assisting them in reducing the likelihood of re-offending.

Being a positive role model on a daily basis really attracted me to the Prison Officer position.

As a Prison Officer you must demonstrate the values and behaviours of Corrections Victoria and the Department of Justice.

You are a role model to both prisoners and other staff members because you are constantly providing leadership, advice, support and guidance. As a Prison Officer, you are also responsible for maintaining a caseload of prisoners, which involves working with the prisoners to encourage their input in establishing goals for themselves, which you then monitor with them.

By establishing these goals, the prisoners are encouraged to engage in positive behaviour change.

Every day working as a Prison Officer is a challenge as you are endeavouring to make a difference for these prisoners.

There are times when the prisoners present with challenging behaviours that you must deal with in a safe and professional manner.

However, with the challenges come the rewards. If you are extremely dedicated to your work and a highly motivated and enthusiastic person then this is the career for you.

I am currently working as a Prison Officer at the Metropolitan Remand Centre, a 605 bed remand prison for male offenders.

Before becoming a Prison Officer, I was in the Australian Army. At the time, I was looking for a career change and thought the role of a Prison Officer sounded like an interesting and exciting job.

I was attracted by the challenges I thought would be involved in working with prisoners, as well as the opportunity for a long and fulfilling career.

Working as a Prison Officer, the most important skill to have is communication. We use this skill everyday when working with prisoners.

You also have to ensure you keep constantly learning and reading to ensure you keep up with policies and local operating procedures.

The recruitment process is completed in sections, each of which has its particular time frame and series of tasks.

The whole process does take some time to complete, but my advice would be to take each section as it comes, work through it and stay positive. I found the overall process fair and challenging.

If you aren’t successful in gaining a position, my advice would be to use the knowledge from your experience to try again at a later date.

Having been in the same job for 14 years, working as a Dispensing Optician, I was attracted to the role of a Prison Officer because I was looking for a new challenge in a completely different environment to what I was used to.

My main aim was to enter a career that had a strong focus on working in a team environment as well as encouraging career progression. For me, the Prison Officer position provided all this and more.

I would certainly recommend the role of a Prison Officer to anyone who is capable of working in a team environment, acting with integrity, respecting other people and have an ability to make things happen.

It is important that you are aware of your surroundings and follow correct procedures to ensure a safe and secure working environment is maintained. The job is certainly challenging, but the more you put into you, the more you will get out of it.

Before I became a Prison Officer, I was a Personal Trainer. I was looking for a career that provided stability and job security, as well as something that was just completely different! I saw the ad in the Geelong Advertiser and decided to apply and see what happened.

My family were supportive of whatever career I chose. I liked the idea of learning something new and having a go at something I had not ever thought about before.

The Prison Officer training was for 7 weeks and included both in the class learning and field based learning. We trained as a squad and did 2 blocks of 1 week placements at a time throughout the 7 weeks.

During the training, you learn about how the prison operates, security, offender management, fire training, first aid, tactical response, professional boundaries and plenty more. There is a lot to take in but once you do your placement it all starts to make sense. You also learn things on placement, and then, when you become a Prison Officer and being working shifts you continue to learn a great deal more.

The training gives you a broad understanding about what is going on so you have some idea about what happens before you start. It is a job where you will always be learning something new each day.

As a Prison Officer your best piece of equipment is your communication skills. Pair this with your life experience and you will have the most important qualities that you can bring to the role.

Treat people the way you would like to be treated and you will go a long way as a Prison Officer.

I would highly recommend working as a Prison Officer to anyone who is looking for a career. It can be challenging and confronting at times, but it can also be very rewarding. You need to be alert, and have good communication skills.

One tip I give to all the new trainees is to always treat the prisoners as you would expect to be treated yourself. I have always worked in this manner and have experienced minimal issues as a result.