This page provides information for people seeking to apply to become a prison officer with Corrections Victoria. You can learn more about applying to become a prison officer on this website.
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Prison officers require a level of health and fitness to be effective in their role.
Physical tasks
Physical tasks include but are not limited to:
Searching
- prisoners / people in custody
- accommodation / cells
- work areas.
Responding to incidents
- self defence
- restraint techniques.
Training
Pre-service training involves various training modules that include a physical component:
These are:
- Tactical options
- On the job placement
- Fire awareness
- Restraints
- Searching.
Pre-service health assessment
To ensure you can safely undertake the requirements of the prison officer role and pre-service training, without risk of injusry to yourself or others, you must pass a Health Assessment.
The Health Assessment happens at the end of the recruitment process and consists of these components:
Body Mass Index (BMI)
A BMI between 18.5 and 35 and a waist circumference of 88cm or less for women and 100cm or less for men is the requirement.
Note: In exceptional circumstances, applicants who do not meet the BMI and waist circumference requirements may be considered if they are able to provide strong objective evidence of their physical capability including strength, good flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and overall body fat levels.
Blood pressure
Blood pressure (treated or untreated) needs to be within normal range of less than or equal to 140/90.
Medical assessment
- supervised urine drug screening
- audiology (hearing test)
- vision and colour vision (basic eye test)
- lung function test (spirometry)
- cardiovascular health
- general health
- a brief past history of illness
- task based assessments
- psychological assessment.
Physical capability assessment
- lumbar and hamstring flexibility
- body composition
- cardiovascular fitness (aerobic fitness capacity – step test)
- upper body strength
- abdominal strength.
Candidates will be assessed by doctors and other trained medical professionals.
Preparing for the pre-service health assessment
Candidates who perform exercise regularly and maintain a base level of fitness should not find the assessments difficult.
Candidates who do not exercise regularly should start fitness training activities for at least four weeks prior to assessment. This may involve a brisk walk daily for at least 30 minutes. There are a variety of fitness programs that individuals may follow and it is left to each candidate to perform activities that suit their own personal circumstances.
Candidates who have pre-existing medical conditions that might impact on physical training should consult their doctor for advice prior to starting training.
Capability | Tasks you may be required to undertake on the job | How you will be assessed | What you'll need to achieve | Training tips |
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Lower limb function |
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Upper body strength |
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Females
Males
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Range of motion |
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Lifting |
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Core strength |
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