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Prison Officer Recruitment 2016

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    #542
    sticky hurling
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭sticky hurling


    What is the position with tetra radios and personal protecvtive equipment in the prison service ie baton cuffs peeper spray asp batons?


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    #543
    raze_them_all_
    Registered Users Posts: 6,744 ✭✭✭raze_them_all_


    sticky hurling wrote: »
    What is the position with tetra radios and personal protecvtive equipment in the prison service ie baton cuffs peeper spray asp batons?

    Stop watching green mile and America's hardest prisons chief.


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    #544
    Tommy61
    Registered Users Posts: 40 ✭Tommy61


    sticky hurling wrote: »
    What is the position with tetra radios and personal protecvtive equipment in the prison service ie baton cuffs peeper spray asp batons?

    Anything that can be used as a weapon can be taken from you so I'm thinking no. Especially when in close proximity to the Prison population.


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    #545
    newtothis23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭newtothis23


    sticky hurling wrote: »
    What is the position with tetra radios and personal protecvtive equipment in the prison service ie baton cuffs peeper spray asp batons?

    I dont think you get any of the above which sounds crazy.Its just your bare hands.Hopefully serving PO can tell you shortly.


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    #546
    raze_them_all_
    Registered Users Posts: 6,744 ✭✭✭raze_them_all_


    newtothis23 wrote: »
    I dont think you get any of the above which sounds crazy.Hopefully serving PO can tell you shortly.

    It's not crazy. A tiny can of pepper spray would be made invisible in seconds. The batons are very very very rarely issued


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    #547
    sticky hurling
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭sticky hurling


    raze_them_all_ wrote: »
    Stop watching green mile and America's hardest prisons chief.
    In british and american prisons they are standard personal issue and some even have tazers and the criminals in those prisons are alot more dangerous than ours so what could they do given half a chance?. So just because you dont have one dont be trying to make me out to be a fool you gave mis information above in relation to being able to defer your enterance to the prison service seems to me that your a bit of a know all to be honest this is a chat that was set up for people like me and others who have never been a prison officer or seen the inside of a prison not unhelpful know alls that are half laughing at us. I cant get enough info from serving officers that actually want to help but i dont need that.


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    #548
    Omackeral
    Registered Users Posts: 32,956 ✭✭✭✭Omackeral


    Hi sticky, unfortunately we aren't issued with any personal protection equipment on a day to day basis. It's literally the shirt on your back. This shocks a lot of people. Handcuffs are issued for external escorts for the most part. Batons can be too but they are rarely handed out. Riot gear is only ever used in riots (obviously!) or if an exceptionally difficult prisoner is placed on a restricted regime by management and is sent to the block. We should be given stab vests IMO but again, mostly reserved for external escorts. Pepper spray has never been issued in the service, it's been talked about alright but as of yet it's not come in.

    Hope this helps.


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    #549
    sticky hurling
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭sticky hurling


    very much so thank you is it a relitively safe working enviroment ? I understand things kick off but is it everyday or seldom or some good days some bad?


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    #550
    Omackeral
    Registered Users Posts: 32,956 ✭✭✭✭Omackeral


    I'd say for the most part, 95% of the time it's a safe job in the daily normal routine. There are a few high profile prisoners who require more hands on techniques situated in segregation. Don't get me wrong, the potential is there and the 5% of the time when it's bad it can be bad. A couple of my colleagues have had really bad injuries but that's very much the exception to the norm in my experience (and I'll stand over that if anyone else here wants to try refute it, it's in my experience). Personally, I've been in two major disturbances and a couple of staff were hospitalised on those occasions but thankfully nothing career threatening.

    Violence and assaults is mostly prisoner on prisoner. Staff get caught up in it when trying to resolve it but mostly they're more intent at going at each other. again exceptions apply and you'll get one or two scrotes that'll be opportunistic.

    My bottom line is this ; by its nature it's not a safe job. In my experience, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. If you're scared at the thoughts of skirmishes and conflict though, it's not for you...but that's surely obvious?


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    #551
    newtothis23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭newtothis23


    I read in today's Independent unions will be looking to abolish lower starting salaries for new recruits into public sector which Im told is approx 10% of a difference.
    It's a big IF but hopefully if it happens,it'll be some good news.


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    #552
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    Guys Rent Allowance! I know this has been debated before on private mail in particular. But I personally would resent this not being restored for new entrants. With the Paso's starting on March 20th surely they will have to know the position regarding it's restoration. Would you all be happy to take the job without knowing if it will be restored? It's worth 4k plus that's huge when starting salary is only 23k before allowances. If we do start without it and it gets restored does it get backdated? I think we deserve to have a concrete answer on it before signing a contract that's just my opinion. I'll ring the POA on Monday I spoke with them in January and they said it would definitely be restored for the Paso's starting but still nothing concrete. With current officers never losing it and the Gardai having it reinstated us not getting it would be unfair.


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    #553
    sticky hurling
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭sticky hurling


    well i couldnt do the job without it


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    #554
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    sticky hurling wrote: »
    well i couldnt do the job without it

    Bare in mind a huge percentage of staff will commute to Dublin or have to rent. We will be the first new staff since 2008 we deserve to know.


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    #555
    newtothis23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭newtothis23


    It wasn't backdated for garda so I presume it would be the same for us.I also wouldn't sign up,10% pay cut to salary is bad enough and no rent allowance would be the straw that broke the camels back.


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    #556
    sticky hurling
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭sticky hurling


    But i dont think its as bad a s we think starting salary of 23677+1800 operational allowance+1000 euro been given to all public sector workers under 60 k and just say 4500 rent allowance gross 30977 roughly 595.00 not bad in year one in fairness and thats flat rate


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    #557
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    sticky hurling wrote: »
    But i dont think its as bad a s we think starting salary of 23677+1800 operational allowance+1000 euro been given to all public sector workers under 60 k and just say 4500 rent allowance gross 30977 roughly 595.00 not bad in year one in fairness and thats flat rate

    It's absolutely not bad but the rent is a game changer. So far we don't know if it is going to happen. Everyone says it will but that isn't good enough.


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    #558
    newtothis23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭newtothis23


    sticky hurling wrote: »
    But i dont think its as bad a s we think starting salary of 23677+1800 operational allowance+1000 euro been given to all public sector workers under 60 k and just say 4500 rent allowance gross 30977 roughly 595.00 not bad in year one in fairness and thats flat rate

    I could be wrong but I think its closer to 32,000 euro gross.
    Obviously then AH brings it up.


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    #559
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    newtothis23 wrote: »
    It wasn't backdated for garda so I presume it would be the same for us.I also wouldn't sign up,10% pay cut to salary is bad enough and no rent allowance would be the straw that broke the camels back.

    The reality is we will probably have to sign contracts before we do know! Then they have us over a barrel..


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    #560
    CorkColin
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭CorkColin


    The rent allowance would make a huge difference to someone like me who would have to move up to Dublin, the rent up there is crazy atm...


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    #561
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    newtothis23 wrote: »
    I could be wrong but I think its closer to 32,000 euro gross.
    Obviously then AH brings it up.

    Yes but minus the 4k rent. We have to assume the worst here as there hasn't been any confirmation from Government yet. I'd rather be negative and be pleasantly surprised than expect it and be disappointed. I'm looking at the figures without rent and it's poor considering the type of job.


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    #562
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    CorkColin wrote: »
    The rent allowance would make a huge difference to someone like me who would have to move up to Dublin, the rent up there is crazy atm...

    Totally agree but will they have an answer before we take the job. I doubt it. Unless we cause a storm how likely is it to happen? Current officers never lost it so they aren't affected by it. I have emailed my local TD today to get him to ask a parliamentary question to government on it.


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    #563
    raze_them_all_
    Registered Users Posts: 6,744 ✭✭✭raze_them_all_


    Harryhoofer wrote: »
    Totally agree but will they have an answer before we take the job. I doubt it. Unless we cause a storm how likely is it to happen? Current officers never lost it so they aren't affected by it. I have emailed my local TD today to get him to ask a parliamentary question to government on it.

    It'll happen, not a hope the guards get it and pos dont


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    #564
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    raze_them_all_ wrote: »
    It'll happen, not a hope the guards get it and pos dont

    Paso's start next month be interesting to see what happens. I'll chat with the POA Monday see do they know anymore.


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    #565
    newtothis23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭newtothis23


    The Govt. should also give serving prison officers extra 500 euro garda got to their rent allowance.


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    #566
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    newtothis23 wrote: »
    The Govt. should also give serving prison officers extra 500 euro garda got to their rent allowance.

    I think that's wishful thinking. I'd be happy with the 4k restored but very unhappy without it.


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    #567
    newtothis23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭newtothis23


    Harryhoofer wrote: »
    I think that's wishful thinking. I'd be happy with the 4k restored but very unhappy without it.

    It is wishful thinking on my part but its only fair.Govt agreed to increase in rent allowance for garda because of increasing cost of renting,that applies to prison officers just as much.


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    #568
    newtothis23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭newtothis23


    raze_them_all_ wrote: »
    It'll happen, not a hope the guards get it and pos dont

    Firefighters also got it back.


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    #569
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    newtothis23 wrote: »
    It is wishful thinking on my part but its only fair.Govt agreed to increase in rent allowance for garda because of increasing cost of renting,that applies to prison officers just as much.

    Fairness doesn't work though. It's all about noise the more you make the more you gain... I suppose there hasn't been any new entrants into IPS as of yet maybe that is why we haven't heard anything official to date. But it's a must otherwise the pay scales would be totally imbalanced between new recruits and current staff.


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    #570
    sticky hurling
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭sticky hurling


    everybody on here should bang an email off to there local TD


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    #571
    Harryhoofer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭Harryhoofer


    sticky hurling wrote: »
    everybody on here should bang an email off to there local TD

    I have to three today and I agree.


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