Recruit Prison Officer 2019

Iseedeadpixels

Thanks for the post

Arod13

Clever8619 wrote: »

Arod13 wrote: »

Thanks for this.as ddmam said,it’s great to hear from a serving officer.
Are you leaving the service solely because of location or is there other reasons?

A bit of everything really. Like I said I did enjoy the job but lack of opportunity for diversifying the role. It gets monotonous. There is limited roles available and there's a seniority list for everything. Not bashing the job at all just trying to be honest. Prisoners seem to be getting appeased more and more aswell these days. Putting someone on report is a waste of time. Very little deterrant for poor behaviour. Atmosphere seems to be getting nastier aswell. Im obv in a dublin establishment and with the influx of new staff and more experienced ones leaving people are learning as they go. Anyone will tell you it takes years to develop jail craft so people are learning as they go.

I appreciate your honesty.i prefer to hear what you have to say than someone telling me that it’s 24/7 choir practice in prison.all what your saying should help us be prepared for what we’ll have to face if we get in and your advise about standing strong,not backing down is crucial advise,not saying we wouldn’t be told that in collage.all what you’ve said might even help ppl decide if this is what they really want,some might even decide it’s definitely what they want based on what you’ve said.
We should be thankful of po’s like you coming on here and giving us your thoughts and opinions.

Kells girls

Hi all just wondering, I’ve been talking to a couple of people I know and from the last recruitment they are waiting to start! Does that mean all go together or will the next recruiting be in the new year?

JJss1988

Kells girls wrote: »

Hi all just wondering, I’ve been talking to a couple of people I know and from the last recruitment they are waiting to start! Does that mean all go together or will the next recruiting be in the new year?

I would think they are maybe the low scorers from the last campaign and would join the high merit numbers from our campaign in the training.
Then work through our list.
I think the Garda go through their campaign lists the same way.

weadick

Clever8619 wrote: »

Hello all!

Serving officer here. Leaving the job shortly as I have managed to get into the gardai. So I said I'll give my thoughts on the job for you new recruits.

For me the best part of the job was the training. Great laugh and you meet some good people, instructors and fellow new officers. Once you start for real it gets a bit different. Nothing prepares you for the mayhem you walk into. From the start you've a bit of a target on your back as your new. The noise and smell takes a bit of getting used to.

The prisoners tend to fall into a few categories. The annoying and extremely needy, the friendly, the nasty and violent and the prisoners who will have absolutely nothing to do with staff. All of whom present different challenges. The needy ones try take up all your time with loads of requests and threats of self harm etc when they don't get their own way. The nasty ones are difficult to manage and very volatile. Start fights and take on staff at every opportunity (especially if they zero in on a weak officer). If you are intimidated easily or as they say in the job are "watery" your working life will be absolute hell. I've seen a few in my time and they are miserable. The friendly ones are generally only friendly as they are up to something. Not all of them and this may seem cynical but in my experience that's what I've come to know. No prisoner is your friend. You can be friendly, provide support etc.. but they are never your friend or vice versa. Again a weak officer will be conditioned over months by these seemingly "friendly" prisoners amd before you know it theyre asking for something to be brought in for them and when you say no they will turn on you. Then there's the ones who will have nothing to do with you and absolutely hate the uniform and will never do as asked or told.

Your day can generally go one of three ways. A good day, bad day and terrible day. The tough days are draining especially if your dealing with alot of people who want to argue and shout at you all day. Or if theres been alot of incidents i.e fights, self harm, slashings, attempted suicides attacks on staff etc..

The staff you work with are great and everyone has (Or should have) eachothers back. You may at times feel isolated when your standing in front of 5/6 prisoners and things are getting heated but know that when you call for assistance you wont be waiting very long until 10s of officers burst onto the scene. This is important to remember as there will be times when your on your own and a situation with prisoners will start to escalate. Always stick to your guns and never back down if you need assistance call for it. If you back down from a prisoner once they will all know very quick and they will take you on at every opportunity.

It's a great job once you find your feet and get used of the mayhem. If you scare easily I'd say find another job because you will see alot of disturbing things. The rota is good and time off isn't hard to come by. Transfers though forget about it. You'll go on a list. After 4/5 years you might get Portlaoise anywhere else god knows Limerick and Cork are virtually impossible to get to.

I'll be sad to leave but living in Dublin isn't all its cracked up to be so joining the gardai who are more flexible re. location seems a better fit for me. Good luck with the rest of application process it's a bit long winded I know but worth it in the end. Didn't mean for the post to be this long, I could have gone on even longer but won't bore anyone any longer

I know for a fact that new staff are getting in Cork/Limerick within two years now so youve got your facts wrong somewhere along the line.

Also be wary of joining the Guards in order to get back home. Guards take a very dim view of anyone not willing to do there time and wait to get close to home like everyone else. Personally I think you're nuts to leave IPS for the Gardai. It's a tougher job with a crap roster for less pay. Not to mention you'll have to do eight months on 180quid a week in the Temple of Doom.

Clever8619

weadick wrote: »

I know for a fact that new staff are getting in Cork/Limerick within two years now so youve got your facts wrong somewhere along the line.

Also be wary of joining the Guards in order to get back home. Guards take a very dim view of anyone not willing to do there time and wait to get close to home like everyone else. Personally I think you're nuts to leave IPS for the Gardai. It's a tougher job with a crap roster for less pay. Not to mention you'll have to do eight months on 180quid a week in the Temple of Doom.

How long you been an officer?

keving34

Hi,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I have passed the interview and have just been called for the medical. Does this mean that the vetting stage is finished now or still ongoing in the background? I am really looking forward to getting started. And especially the training now!
Best of luck to you in your new path.

Kev

JD1982

keving34 wrote: »

Hi,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I have passed the interview and have just been called for the medical. Does this mean that the vetting stage is finished now or still ongoing in the background? I am really looking forward to getting started. And especially the training now!
Best of luck to you in your new path.

Kev

passed interview for this campaign or the last campaign?

Iseedeadpixels

JD1982 wrote: »

passed interview for this campaign or the last campaign?

Last campaign we haven't gotten the results of ours yet.

keving34

passed for last campaign. my question is on the vetting process. does the fact that ive been called for a medical phase mean that ive cleared the vetting. i have a charge against me from my past. it came against me for a few jobs in social care recently.

JD1982

Iseedeadpixels wrote: »

Last campaign we haven't gotten the results of ours yet.

I was thinking that.
I’ll put my panic button back in the box.

JD1982

keving34 wrote: »

passed for last campaign. my question is on the vetting process. does the fact that ive been called for a medical phase mean that ive cleared the vetting. i have a charge against me from my past. it came against me for a few jobs in social care recently.

It’d go against you more in social care than frontline or prison service.
They’ll contact you if they have a question.

keving34

Hopefully. Do you think im in the clear now as im called for the next phase? They would have been in contact about it by now? I did disclose it from the beginning. Had my interview in Feburary and passed.

JJss1988

keving34 wrote: »

Hopefully. Do you think im in the clear now as im called for the next phase? They would have been in contact about it by now? I did disclose it from the beginning. Had my interview in Feburary and passed.

I think it depends on the charge and how long ago it was.If you got fined in court for no car tax and it was 10 years ago I doubt that would be an issue.
Maybe others on here would have better knowledge.

Leo Demidov

Clever8619 wrote: »

How long you been an officer?

Sheesh, that's a little passive aggressive. Weadick speaketh the truth though, Cork and Limerick are easily attainable with 2 years service at this point in time. Obviously that will change again but if you have the service you claim to have, you'd be home by now if that's what you wanted. There's no shame in walking away, own your decision and get on with your life. The Guards is no walk in the park either and as others have pointed out, the roster isnt as good with them, nor is the money.

Clever8619

Leo Demidov wrote: »

Sheesh, that's a little passive aggressive. Weadick speaketh the truth though, Cork and Limerick are easily attainable with 2 years service at this point in time. Obviously that will change again but if you have the service you claim to have, you'd be home by now if that's what you wanted. There's no shame in walking away, own your decision and get on with your life. The Guards is no walk in the park either and as others have pointed out, the roster isnt as good with them, nor is the money.

Didn't mean to sound passive aggressive. Apologies if it came across that way. The way I read he's post sounded like he knew what he was talking about maybe that's not the case don't know the guy. Guards pay is crap, hours are crap and the job is harder. Prison officers hours aren't, pay isn't and the job is easier. Unless he's been in either job just seems like a strong statement.

Leo Demidov

Clever8619 wrote: »

Unless he's been in either job just seems like a strong statement.

Both jobs have their merits and their negatives. Best of luck and be safe.

Precal 2018

Does anybody know what time in the evenings college finishes at everyday for training in Portlaoise and Dublin ??

niteclubbecks

Precal 2018 wrote: »

Does anybody know what time in the evenings college finishes at everyday for training in Portlaoise and Dublin ??

Haven’t a clue. But I’d imagine it d be around 4:30-5:30 ish

Leo Demidov

Precal 2018 wrote:

Does anybody know what time in the evenings college finishes at everyday for training in Portlaoise and Dublin ??

16.40

niteclubbecks

Anywhere know where the training happens in Dublin?

apache

Wheatfield.

daniel1390

Results should be out this week????, PAS said mid June to us at stage 1

irishgirl91

daniel1390 wrote: »

Results should be out this week????, PAS said mid June to us at stage 1

Yeah hopefully be this week maybe Thursday or Friday..

Arsenal91

Contacted public appointments and they said results should be out by end of next week.

irishgirl91

Arsenal91 wrote: »

Contacted public appointments and they said results should be out by end of next week.

another week lovely!!! I can manage waiting longer I think lol

JJss1988

Arsenal91 wrote: »

Contacted public appointments and they said results should be out by end of next week.

Ah no not another week to wait!!!

mascherano11

Results out I passed and got placed 247 don’t know if that’s good or bad

daniel1390

Very similar place to you dont know what to expect, do all who passed stage 2 get called for interview

irishgirl91

I just seen the text/email there about it and I checked it straight away.. i passed

Was hoping would be this week!!! Couldnt be waiting any longer 😂😂😂