Tarrengower Prison

Mandy, Operations Manager, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"So, Tarrengower is a minimum-security prison for women and the purpose of Tarrengower is for women to get ready to go home."

Will, Prison Supervisor, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"To be a good prison officer at Tarrengower you need to be honest, be of good integrity and you need to be a team player."

Mandy, Operations Manager, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"It's all about great communication, positive interactions, following up on issues."

Vin, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"Definitely a good listener and a good communicator and always follow through, anything that you say you're going to do."

Kelvin, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"You need to be understanding, approachable, non-judgmental."

Mandy, Operations Manager, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"Prison officers are the linchpin of the work that we do here. They've got a security function, they've got a safety function for the women, a really strong case management role."

Leo, Senior Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"Tarrengower’s a smaller location. So, everything from security through to reception, through to case management. You don't just do one job, you do the lot."

Mandy, Operations Manager, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"With industry opportunities at Tarrengower, we try to focus on real work skills that the women will be able to use post-release.

There's a component of warehousing, packaging, there's a coffee packaging industry, we're also responsible for maintaining the grounds area, there's a greyhound program."

Will, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"All the women love working with the greyhounds. It's therapeutic, it's rewarding, it helps build a work ethic."

Mandy, Operations Manager, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"There’s distance ed. We have some women that are quite gifted and are doing tertiary studies."

Will, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"So, a lot of the education programs that are provided, vocational education – those skills can be actually taken and used for post-release employment."

Mandy, Operations Manager, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"There are lots of opportunities. There are lots of portfolios that you can get involved in."

Will, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"There are also opportunities for acting up through the different ranks."

Kelvin, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"The emails are constantly coming in for opportunities elsewhere and to expand your knowledge."

Will, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"I’ve worked at Tarrengower for 20 years and we've got a fantastic team here."

Tammy, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"​​​​It's a great team to work with. It is a really close-knit team, but we're a very good team. We get the job done and we care for one another."

Mandy, Operations Manager, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"If someone was applying to become a prison officer, I would say it's a great job."

Leo, Senior Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"I think the opportunity are there. Definitely go for it. It's a role that you'll find exciting. I've never once sat back and said, ‘No, I don’t want to go to work.’"

Will, Prison Officer, H.M. Prison Tarrengower:

"I would encourage people looking for a really good career, who want to be promoted, great salary, good people to work with. Come and give it a go. It's challenging on a day-by-day basis. It's a rewarding place to be and I intend on finishing my career here."