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Prison Officer Profile

Working as a prison officer

Prison officers are responsible for the management and secure containment of prisoners throughout Victoria. Corrections Victoria manages the 11 public-owned prisons in Victoria.

Prison officers are required to perform a range of duties relating to the security and good order of the prison, the safety of all those in the prison, and offender management. All of these tasks are critical, and a prison officer must give equal emphasis to all aspects of their role.

Prison officers undertake a range of security duties, including:

• searching
• ensuring that all parts of the prison (including prisoner accommodation areas) are secure and orderly
• escorting
• conducting surveillance
• observing and assessing prisoner behaviour
• operating security equipment
• control of keys and locks
• fire awareness duties
• collating information and preparing reports.

Corrections Victoria adopts a case-management approach, where prison officers with direct prisoner supervision are assigned a prisoner caseload. This work includes:

• conducting monthly Individual Management Plan (IMP) meetings with prisoners
• liaising with program staff to ensure prisoner program participation aligns with the needs of individual prisoners
• encouraging and motivating prisoners to address their offending behaviour.

Prisoner assessments are prepared and advice and recommendations provided to prison-based committees. There may also be participation in prisoner programs and activities.

Management of prison officers

Prison officers are usually part of a team managed by a supervisor who allocates prisoner caseloads, is responsible for day-to-day staff supervision and management of the work unit and the quality of service delivery. Supervisors also coordinate prisoner program participation and liaise and negotiate with program staff.

An operations manager may manage a smaller prison or may be the day-to-day manager of a larger prison and is responsible for implementing Corrections Victoria policy and strategic direction. Operations managers have a lead role in maintaining and enhancing liaison and effective relations with stakeholders and improving service delivery. Each prison location or region is managed by a general manager.

The general manager is a senior manager within Corrections Victoria, responsible for the coordinated implementation of Corrections Victoria policy and service delivery in a large complex prison or a group of diverse prisons. The role provides expert, authoritative professional and strategic advice to the director and the executive.

Specialist streams 

There are two major specialist streams within the prison officer (custodial officer) category:

1. Industry supervisors who manage a caseload of prisoners in an industry setting, providing work-skills training and employment in a variety of industries such as:
   • metal fabrication
   • catering
   • horticulture
   • wooden products.
2. Security and Emergency Services Group who provide a specialist security function including:
   • emergency response to incidents
   • dog squad teams for drug detection and searching
   • intelligence gathering
   • high security escorts
   • specialist training.

Training

Newly recruited prison officers receive approximately seven weeks pre-service training in Corrections Victoria prisons. Whilst undertaking pre-service training, prison officers are employed and paid by Corrections Victoria.

This is followed by a period of close supervision and intermittent training to enable new employees to assimilate their skills in a graduated way. Typically, as new employees acquire more complex skills and training, they are given more demanding positions. It is expected that new employees will continue acquiring competencies and achieve a Certificate III in Correctional Practice (Custodial Corrections) within a 12-24 month period.

For further information on these positions, please go to Careers at Corrections