Prison Governor

Also known as:

Governor, Prison

Introduction

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

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Work Activities

Prison governors are the managers of the prison service. They are responsible for the administration and smooth running of a prison unit. They work at different levels of responsibility, ranging from Governor Grade 5 to Governor Grade 1, which is the most senior grade.

Governor Grade 5 is the first management grade. This role is largely concerned with training and supervising staff, and arranging work and leisure activities for prisoners. A Governor Grade 5 might work in all parts of the prison and have a lot of contact with prisoners.

Governor Grade 4 staff have additional responsibilities, while those at Governor Grade 3 may have overall responsibility for a small prison. Governors in larger establishments are at Grade 2 or 1.

All prison governors need a good knowledge and understanding of what is going on in their prison or centre. As well as carrying out inspections, they liaise with probation officers, social workers, medical staff, prison psychologists and chaplains.

They also attend meetings, courses and conferences, sometimes outside the prison.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

You must be a good leader, and able to motivate both staff and prisoners. You need get on with people, build-up teams and work well with them. You must be sensitive to the needs of staff and prisoners, and able to deal with any unrest or difficult situations.

In this job you have to make responsible decisions and take disciplinary action. You must be able to remain calm under pressure. Listening and good spoken and written communication skills are a must. A sense of humour is useful.

You should be physically fit.

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Pay and Opportunities

Prison governors in the Scottish Prison Service are paid on a rising scale.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Salaries start at around £26,000 a year, rising to £79,000 a year, for the most senior prison governors.

Prison governors work an average 39 hours a week, which usually includes evenings, weekends and possibly public holidays, on a rota basis.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) employs over 50 prison managers, in 15 prisons. Most prison governors in Scotland are employed by the SPS. In addition there is Kilmarnock Prison, which is run by a private company.

Entry to the governor grades is very competitive. Governors might need to move to get the job they want.

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Adult Opportunities

Age limits apply to this occupation. For entry to the Scottish Prison Service you should be between 18 and 63. All entrants are required to take the standard entry tests including medical examinations.

In England and Wales there is an Intensive Development Scheme (IDS) for graduates. This is not available in Scotland. Graduates applying for the IDS need an honours degree in any subject. An interest or background in human resources or institutional management, law, psychology or social sciences is helpful but not essential.

Contracted-out prisons have their own recruitment and selection procedures.

• 9% of prison governors (principal officer and above) have flexible hours.

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