- Benefits of being a prison officer
- Exclusive benefits for Veterans
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As a prison officer, you will be part of the team helping make the community safer for everyone. You will play a crucial role in supporting prisoners through their rehabilitation journey and help them become constructive members of society. You will also be responsible for helping keep staff, prisoners and the facility safe.
Start as a prison officer and you can develop a career across the whole of the Victorian prison system and broader Victorian Public service.
Your background in the defence force is highly valuable. The life experience and skills you have developed will help you manage the demands of being a prison officer. Teamwork, adaptability and commitment are important parts of your role. Your ability to remain calm under pressure, make quick and informed decisions and follow established protocol are also vital.
You will be joining a well-structured organisation focussed on support, career progression and opportunities. You will find job security, great benefits and will join a team of people passionate about what they do.
Left the Defence Force? Bring your Defence skills to a career in Corrections
Paul: I served in the British Army for 23 years. I gained many life experiences whilst I was in the military and those skills and experiences that I've transferred across from the military are something that Corrections Victoria were really looking for.
Nick: The skills that I brought with me from the Defence Force, it’s definitely solving problems on the fly, situational awareness, dealing with a lot of high stress and high intensity scenarios.
Maree: Time management, communication skills, observation skills, being reliable, being trustworthy, having integrity.
Paul: The thing that interested me in joining Corrections, it's a well structured organisation, working in small teams, and that camaraderie that I was used to in the military.
Nick: The team work, the mateship that we have, been able to rock up knowing that whatever happens during the day, I have my mates by my side.
Maree: For me, job security is important. I like working in an environment wearing a uniform. I like the rank structure. There's a lot of camaraderie in the workplace and that's very necessary in this job.
Paul: I think Corrections Victoria do a really good job at supporting its people, whether that's a mental health issue or with career progression and career diversity and opportunities.
Nick: Corrections Victoria is supportive of the reservists. They will give you free leave to go and conduct your training so that doesn't come out of your leave balance.
Paul: When there's an element of danger, I suppose it draws people together and definitely makes them much closer and that's something that I missed when I left the military and it's something that I feel as though I've got back in this organisation.
Benefits of being a prison officer
The employee benefits you can look forward to include:
- 41 days of paid training
- rosters that prioritise work-life balance
- generous annual and personal leave
- competitive salary with annual salary increases
- career development and leadership programs
- wellbeing programs, including the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- reimbursement for eligible relocation expenses.
Exclusive benefits for Veterans
We recognise the value that defence veterans can bring and offer exclusive entitlements along with our standard employee benefits.
Military sick leave
Veterans who have served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) receive extra support for service-related illnesses, including sick leave. This means earning 114 hours of special leave with pay for each year of service, up to a maximum of 760 hours. This is additional leave beyond standard personal leave.
You do not have to disclose the nature of your injuries but must provide proof that the qualifying injury is service-related. This can be from a registered practitioner such as a GP or physiotherapist, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Recognition of prior service for long service leave
We acknowledge prior service in the ADF toward long service leave in the Victorian Public Service (VPS). You must have had full-time ADF employment, joined the VPS within a year of leaving the ADF, and be able to provide service record evidence.
Defence Reserve leave
We ensure protected leave under the Defence Reserve Service (Protection) Act 2001. This means you can take up to 78 weeks of continuous leave for your Defence Reserve service. We also provide make-up pay for the duration of your Defence Reserve service, ensuring you won't experience any income loss during this period.
For further information on these additional benefits, see the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2020 Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2020 (External link).
Paul's story
Paul Brownbridge: My name's Paul Brownbridge. I'm a Prison Supervisor here at Marngoneet Correctional Centre. I served in the British Army for 23 years, rose to the rank of Warrant Officer.
The thing that interested me in joining Corrections, it's a well structured organisation, working in small teams, and that camaraderie that I was used to.
I gained many life experiences whilst I was in the military, and those skills and experiences that I've transferred across from the military are something that Corrections Victoria were really looking for.
Paul interviewing a candidate: So tell me what you want to achieve whilst you're here over the next couple of months. Is there anything you think...
Paul: I think Corrections Victoria do a really good job at supporting its people, whether that's a mental health issue or with career progression 14 and career diversity and opportunities. When there's an element of danger, I suppose it draws people together and definitely makes them much closer. And that's something that I missed when I left the military, and it's something that I feel as though I've got back in this organisation.
Maree's story
Marie Newton: My name is Marie Newton. I'm a prison officer at Marngoneet and Karreenga Correctional Centre. My service in the Defence Force started as an Army Reservist. I then joined the Air Force in 1998 as a signals operator. I work in the control room so my role involves maintaining the security and good order of the prison.
Maree making an announcement: Attention Karreenga, attention Karreenga. Ten minutes to the count. All prisoners return to your accommodation.
Marie: Some skills that I've brought across from the Air Force; time management, communication skills, observation skills, being reliable, being trustworthy, having integrity.
For me, job security is important. I like working in environment wearing a uniform. I like the rank structure. There's a lot of camaraderie in the workplace, and it's
very necessary in this job.
Also, with ex-service personnel, we’ve sort of come from similar training. So that also helps. There's a support and respect for each other.
There's also plenty of opportunity for career development and personal progression.
So again, that job stability is primary for me.
Ready to apply?
Information sessions
You can register to attend an information session to speak to prison officers and our recruitment team. The session gives an insight into the role, and you can ask questions to determine if this is the right career for you.