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Prison governor

Prison governors manage prisons, remand centres and young offenders' institutions.

Annual Salary

£47,500 to £75,500

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

37 to 41 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota

3.4%
Future employment

There will be 3.4% more Prison governor jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

As part of your day to day duties, you may:

  • manage prison security, standards and budgets
  • supervise prisoners and make inspections
  • support vulnerable prisoners and those at risk of self-harm
  • carry out disciplinary procedures
  • manage and motivate prison staff
  • update records and write reports
  • develop the prison to meet government targets, like the control of drugs
  • work with other professionals, such as medical staff, social workers and probation officers

Working environment

You could work in a prison.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

You can get into this job through:

  • working towards this role
  • a management training scheme
Work

You may be able to start as a prison officer and work your way up with further training and experience. You'll need several years' experience, including line management.

You would generally move into senior management jobs and eventually deputy governorship roles, then governor.

Companies that run private prisons have their own entry requirements.

You can find details of prisons in England and Wales on GOV.UK.

Other routes

You can apply to join the Senior Leadership Scheme. This is a 3-year training scheme available from HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Vacancies are advertised online and through social media when a recruitment campaign is taking place.

You may have an advantage if you've got a degree, though it's not essential. Employers are just as interested in what you've achieved throughout your career.

Experience in management and excellent communication skills, as well as assertiveness and integrity, are important.

You can also apply through the Leadership Development Programme. This is a 2-year fast-track leadership development route available to graduates, who:

  • meet the HMPPS eligibility criteria
  • already have, or are expecting to get, an upper second class degree
  • have GCSE grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths
  • have the right to work in the UK for the length of the programme

You'll study for a postgraduate master's in Applied Custodial Leadership as part of the training.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

More information

Further information

You can find out more about working in prisons from HM Prison Service.

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With experience, you could work in a more secure prison or join HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

You could also work in the national headquarters of HMPPS.

Another option is to work within prison service colleges or training units around the UK.

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Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • business management skills
  • leadership skills
  • customer service skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • knowledge of human resources and employment law
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
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