How to become a prison service officer

Official title: Prison service officers (below principal officer)

Also called: Prison warden, Prison officer, Borstal officer, Custody officer, Prison auxiliary, Auxiliary officer, Discipline officer, Prison escort officer, Prison custody officer, Prison custodial officer, Prisoner custody officer, Prison custody supervisor

Prison service officers (below principal officer) direct, co-ordinate and participate in guarding inmates and maintaining discipline in prisons and other detention centres.

Main tasks

• Escorts prisoners to and from cells and supervises them during meals, recreation and visiting periods
• Watches for any infringements of regulations and searches prisoners and cells for weapons, drugs and other contraband items
• Guards entrances and perimeter walls
• Investigates disturbances or any other unusual occurrences
• Escorts prisoners transferred from one institution to another
• Runs prisoner rehabilitation and support programmes
• Provides care and support to prisoners in custody including prevention of self-harm
• Trains and supervises prison staff

How to become one

There are no formal academic requirements for entry, but candidates must pass a pre-entry test and full medical examination. Basic training is followed by a 12 month probationary period during which further on-the-job training is provided. Background checks are required for entrants, and there are generally nationality restrictions and a lower age limit of 18 years.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Custody and detention professional (level 3). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0386.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £41,287 a year
• About 48,300 people work in this job now, and about 55,500 are projected by 2035. (+14.8%)

Related jobs

• Non-commissioned officers and other ranks
• Police officers (sergeant and below)
• Fire service officers (watch manager and below)

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Questions people ask

How do I become a prison service officer?

There are no formal academic requirements for entry, but candidates must pass a pre-entry test and full medical examination. Basic training is followed by a 12 month probationary period during which further on-the-job training is provided. Background checks are required for entrants, and there are generally nationality restrictions and a lower age limit of 18 years.

How much does a prison service officer earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £41,287 a year (Office for National Statistics).

Is a prison service officer a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 15% by 2035, from about 48,300 to about 55,500 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a prison service officer?

Usually not. Only 24% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Custody and detention professional (level 3).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03