Prison governor

Prison governors manage prisons and other units, such as young offender institutions. They deal with staff issues including training and discipline. Governors are responsible for security and the overall care, progress and rehabilitation of prisoners.

Work activities

Prison governors are the operational managers of the Prison Service and are responsible for the administration and smooth running of a prison unit. Operational managers will be in roles where they have responsibility for running a unit or section in an establishment. This could include:

The residential units where prisoners live.
The staff involved in resettlement for prisoners when they leave prison.
Staff responsible for security aspects.

Governors could be responsible for things like holding staff meetings so that they can brief all prison staff on what’s happening in and around the prison. They might be responsible for gathering and analysing information (intelligence) or for the prisoners’ education and training department.

Although managing staff is the main focus of the work, many of the jobs will include direct contact work with prisoners. Each prison has a deputy governor and an in-charge governor who has overall responsibility for the whole prison. These positions will attract higher grades and pay depending upon the size and complexity of the prison. At the higher grades, governors are more likely to have many general management responsibilities including budgeting, target setting, planning and human resources, as well as their specific operational responsibilities. All prison governors build up and maintain a good knowledge and understanding of what is going on in their prison or centre. As well as carrying out audits and inspections, governors work with a whole range of different agencies, both inside and outside the prison. Prison governors play an important role in Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, whose aim is to protect the public and reduce the risk of re-offending.

Personal qualities and skills

As a prison governor, you’ll need:

Leadership qualities and the ability to motivate and influence both staff and prisoners.
Verbal and written communication skills.
The confidence to chair meetings and to speak in front of groups of people.
Project management skills.
Financial management skills.

You should be physically fit and will need to pass a medical examination and a fitness test. Some medical conditions could make it very difficult for you to become a prison governor; if you think this might apply to you, you should check carefully with the Prison Service before applying.

Pay and opportunities

Prison governors are paid on a rising scale from £47,500 to £75,500. These salaries rise with allowances.

Prison governors work 37-41 hours a week, which usually includes evenings and weekends on a rota basis.

Prison governors work in prisons throughout the country. These include:

Young offender institutions.
Dispersal prisons, where high security offenders are kept.
Open prisons that keep a cross-section of prisoners.
Local prisons, which keep prisoners awaiting court and assess prisoners after sentencing.

There are also opportunities with the growing number of prisons run by private companies. Opportunities for prison governors occur in prisons throughout the UK, although 84% of the prison service workforce is located in England. Governors can be posted to different areas, and therefore must be prepared to move if necessary.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local/national newspapers, on the HM Prison Service website and on privately run prison employer websites.

Entry routes and training

All applicants to the Prison Service must pass a medical test, a fitness test and security clearance. Applicants who wear glasses or contact lenses must have a minimum standard of unaided vision. You must be at least 18 years old and a British or Commonwealth citizen or meet certain other nationality requirements laid down by the Prison Service. Many governors in the service have joined as a prison officer and worked their way up to governor grades. There is a leadership programme for graduates with at least a 2:1 degree. Applicants must fill in a competency-based application form, take online tests, attend a job simulation assessment centre, take a written test and finally attend an interview.

Everyone who joins the leadership programme will be required to spend a period of time working in uniform as a prison officer, after completing induction and officer training. People on the graduate scheme will progress to supervisor (senior) officer level, and then to operational manager (governor). You will be managing a large area of the prison under supervision, and you will receive a wide range of training.

Prison governors can progress through the operational manager and senior operational manager grades, taking on more responsibility. The highest grade is a governor grade A, in overall charge of a large prison.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: Working as a prison governor is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

Direct entrants to governor training are usually graduates. The usual minimum requirement for entry to a degree in any subject is:

Two to three A-levels
GCSEs at grades 9-4 in two to three other subjects.

Alternatives to A levels include:

Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualifications
International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

However, course requirements vary so check prospectuses carefully.

Adult opportunities

Age limits apply to this occupation. The minimum age of entry into the Prison Service is 18.

All entrants are required to take the standard entry tests including medical examinations. Contracted-out prisons have their own recruitment and selection procedures.

If you don’t have the usual qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

Related careers

Local government administrator
Manager
Police officer
Prison officer
Probation officer