Prison Officer

Big fat warden

wexfjord wrote: »

Welcome to our world. Dont get too many serving PO's here. Whats your background, any advice for potential recruits.

Im around a long long time!I Wouldnt go into too much on a public forum but Ive been in four jails over 23 years and I still get a lot out of my work so that says a lot.Theres a lot to be said for a reggular paycheck,solid career if you want it and its not as bad as serving jailers make out.They have forgotten what it is like out there in the real world lol.

Big fat warden

480905 wrote: »

Get ready for mushroom soup. Mushrooms in f@@cking everything. You'll see what I mean when you get into the training for a few weeks.

and lotss of bitter lemons like this gent!!!

Big fat warden

wexfjord wrote: »

A little harsh isnt it, is there an angry monster within waiting to be unleashed on the poor unsuspecting guests of the state?

Jailers eat monsters wexfjord!:)

480905

tommy57 wrote: »

if your so unhappy with the prison service leave !! appreciate what you have alot of people here would swap position with you no bothar,

Did I once say I was Unhappy? No. I'm just telling you the way it is. The Prison Service is a great Job once you have few years under your belt.Some People sometimes just can't face working in a prison, I've seen people leave after a few weeks or months and not give it a chance.When its going well for you its great but if it doesn't go well its not great.Things will happen over the course of your service and it will be up to you how you deal with those issues. Some people find they cant deal and some deal with things very well .The "mushrooms" inference comes from the training centre and is nothing to do with the job. The cook there just like using mushrooms. So Get off your high horse Tommy57. There's no point in dressing it up for recruits coming in. It may suit you or it may not. Be prepared for a COMPLETE change in your life. Congrats to the lads Coming on Monday. They did very well to get in.

480905

Big fat warden wrote: »

and lotss of bitter lemons like this gent!!!

Not bitter at all . People seem to mix up straight talking with being bitter.

Leo Demidov

Big fat warden wrote: »

Im around a long long time!I Wouldnt go into too much on a public forum but Ive been in four jails over 23 years and I still get a lot out of my work so that says a lot.Theres a lot to be said for a reggular paycheck,solid career if you want it and its not as bad as serving jailers make out.They have forgotten what it is like out there in the real world lol.

Not too many careers than someone can positively report on after 23 years. What you've said pretty much backs up the version of the job that I hoped for. How long do recruits take to assimilate, I presume it takes years to learn the ropes.

hotter

after 2 years you should be able to work in any post and if not then its the wrong job for you

Big fat warden

hotter wrote: »

after 2 years you should be able to work in any post and if not then its the wrong job for you

True!

Electrician

Fair play to everyone who stood up for their rights today. Wouldn't surprise me if the government suggested a reserve prison officer force.....

recruit po

Now there's an idea Electrician, wouldn't surprise me. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

This government is capable of anything!

480905

They are toying with the idea of "Auxiliaries", Staff who are not prison officers but who work in areas of the Prison not dealing with Prisoners during the day.Security Guards effectively. The only reason this is being entertained is purely financial. They would pay these people minimum wage and take away the responsibility from the job.

Leo Demidov

wexfjord wrote: »

Going back to my second last post and referring to the possible outsourcing of prison transfers, I've been looking at the Northern Irish Prison Service website.

They pay their staff generally better than in mainland UK, the grade that is equivalent to Prison Service Escort Corps however earns £8.53 per hour (E9.50 at todays rates), about five grand sterling per annum less than an RPO in Northern Ireland.

Not wanting to pee in anyones soup here, but realistically, there will be recruitment but they may well move the goalposts. I'm at the better end of 08 campaign and levies and pay cuts aside, I think the prison service will be a different creature entirely from the one featured in the recruitment poster by the time that any of us might get in.

No disrespect to McDonalds but they may well end up being the better option. We live in a country where some accountants are on minimum wage, solicitors previously engaged in conveyancing are in dole queues, plumbers are in Tesco and bankers are in heaven. A government looking to make serious "adjustments" wont think twice about ruining your lifes ambition to be a correctional officer.

Auxilliaries.

Referring back to my previous post, I suggested that this might happen, similar to UK service. Some people ridiculed the notion, one person in particular believed that even discussing it was the root of all evil. They have in some Uk prisons different types of security guard on pitiful hourly rates, night-time, transport etc very specific, limited tasks for which people would receive minimal training. Anyone remember what happened in maghaberry prison when these night-time rentacops got together.

Hopefully this wont happen as it can only be a bad thing for everyone.

480905

This was threatened back before our pay "restructuring" arrangements in 2005, McDowell threatened the privatisation of escorts and the outsourcing of Non Prisoner contact posts to private industry if the Pay "Deal" wasn't accepted.It was voted in. It was like the Lisbon Treaty though....we voted once and the result didn't suit so they told us we had to vote again. But anyway its in now. and YET AGAIN these issues arise . For somebody like me with a good few years done it'll be ok but for people starting off it'll be a job that is completely different.The Prisons act 2007 allows for "Prisoner custody officers" i.e. Security guards doing the court escorts. And so on and so forth until they privatise whatever they can get away with.

Leo Demidov

Whichever way it goes there will always be the need for a certain number of properly trained officers. The need for proper recruitment wont arise for a number of years until current pool of officers are depleted. It would be a pity for a service that spent so much on training and upskilling to be "dumbed down" so to speak.

Ideally this system wont be introduced, and with all due respect to serving officers, I'm sure that your arms will be twisted sufficiently so that the required changes can be smoothly introduced.
"Ve hav vays of making you valk."

480905

wexfjord wrote: »

Auxilliaries.

Referring back to my previous post, I suggested that this might happen, similar to UK service. Some people ridiculed the notion, one person in particular believed that even discussing it was the root of all evil. They have in some Uk prisons different types of security guard on pitiful hourly rates, night-time, transport etc very specific, limited tasks for which people would receive minimal training. Anyone remember what happened in maghaberry prison when these night-time rentacops got together.

Hopefully this wont happen as it can only be a bad thing for everyone.

I refer to the highlighted part of the quote above. The Prisons Ombudsman in NI conducted an investigation into this incident and came up with a recommendation that the actual Governor in charge on the day be held directly responsible for the actions of his/her staff. That ruffled a few feathers i can tell you.

Leo Demidov

I would have thought there would be individual consequences.

480905

Yes there were sanctions against the "staff" as well, but the Ombudsman recommended that the Governors be held directly responsible also.

Leo Demidov

":D"

We dont see "auxies" as "staff" then?

I might be glad to be one of them if plug is pulled on regular recruitment, i'll be leaving the sleeping bag at home though.

There are definitely big changes a coming, future PO's will no doubt be on lesser terms. I'll have to keep an eye on Group 4 for recruitment, didnt they get the first UK contracts for transfers, lost a few bodies in week one!

What are the chances of getting inside for a tour of a prison if interviews ever do go ahead.

480905

wexfjord wrote: »

":D"

We dont see "auxies" as "staff" then?

I might be glad to be one of them if plug is pulled on regular recruitment, i'll be leaving the sleeping bag at home though.

There are definitely big changes a coming, future PO's will no doubt be on lesser terms. I'll have to keep an eye on Group 4 for recruitment, didnt they get the first UK contracts for transfers, lost a few bodies in week one!

What are the chances of getting inside for a tour of a prison if interviews ever do go ahead.

No we don't see them as staff here cos they don't exist ... Yet.

In reference to your question in regards to a tour of a Jail,it used to be that you'd be nearly expected to have visited a prison before the interview but I did the interview years ago under the old method. I know Mountjoy used to do school tours,not sure if they still do. Ring the prison nearest to you and ask for the TLO (Training Liaison Officer) and explain your situation.I don't see a problem but it would depend on the individual institution.

Leo Demidov

Thanks for the feedback. I was speaking about "staff" in norhtern irish prisons there.

Havent interviewed yet, am in first group of 08 campaign and was anticipating either getting a call for interview in the new year or being told that panel is being scrapped or further suspended. Thanks for the info on visits, I dont believe its a prerequisite to have visited a prison but it definitely wouldnt do any harm.

Thanks again.

480905

Not a formal prerequisite, but definitely will go in your favour if its brought up at the interview stage. At least making the effort to contact someone will definitely work out positively for you. Would Dublin or country suit you?

Leo Demidov

Fairly flexible, east coast within 100 miles of most prisons, Portlaoise being the closest i suppose. Did you have to move for work?

Big fat warden

wexfjord wrote: »

Fairly flexible, east coast within 100 miles of most prisons, Portlaoise being the closest i suppose. Did you have to move for work?

Anyone starting in the job will be in Dublin for at least 4-5 years if not more.Why not have a look at shelton as well as Wheatfield or cloverhill. Then you could talk about the contrast between an open prison and a modern high security prison.It would show you had done your homework.

Leo Demidov

Fair play big fella, hadnt thought of that.

Was aware of the whole dublin thing, are the majority of people on 8 or 12 hour shifts or whats the story.

480905

wexfjord wrote: »

Fair play big fella, hadnt thought of that.

Was aware of the whole dublin thing, are the majority of people on 8 or 12 hour shifts or whats the story.

Do your homework first and ask all the questions you need to, maybe PM's would work better in this situation. PM me anytime you have a question.I'm sure the big fat man would be of the same opinion.

bohsboy

Yes lads, id keep delicate stuff to PMs as you know what they can be like regarding Official Secrets Act.

Big fat warden

480905 wrote: »

Do your homework first and ask all the questions you need to, maybe PM's would work better in this situation. PM me anytime you have a question.I'm sure the big fat man would be of the same opinion.

Good point mo chara 480905. Make a list of questions, be as frank as you like and pm me. I'll give you an honest answer if I can.

360ts

Just wondering if anyone in the '08 campaign was affected by the recent upgrade on publicjobs.ie? I am no longer registered for the prison officer campaign under "My applications". Anyone else in the same boat?

It probably doesn't really matter as the Prison HR probably have all our details.

Leo Demidov

Not an issue. They should have emailed you to let you know about the upgrade and to save any relevant info yourself. Unless they want to scrap the panel they wont have lost your details. where did you place in the initial panel?

fleecymanager

i finished in the early 200s will be next xmas before anything will happen me thinks