Irish Prison Service

Mission

Providing safe and secure custody, dignity of care and rehabilitation to prisoners for safer communities.

 

Vision

A safer community through excellence in a prison service built on respect for human dignity.

Values

TEAM WORK – They achieve more by working together than we can as individuals working alone

INTEGRITY – They must always have the courage to do the right thing, the decent thing, even when no one else is watching

POTENTIAL – Everyone has the potential to be a better person and they actively seek to provide      staff and those in custody with opportunities to realise and achieve this

SAFETY – They actively contribute to maintaining an environment in which staff and those in their custody feel emotionally and physically safe and ultimately, contribute to a safer community

SUPPORT – They actively seek to provide supports to staff and support rehabilitation of those in custody

The Staff

In Ireland, recent years have required Prison Officers to undertake increasingly complex and diverse tasks, balancing their traditional security focused role with a renewed emphasis on facilitating rehabilitative interventions that address offending behaviour.

Prison Officers are the frontline staff who interact most with prisoners on a daily basis and as a result, have the potential to positively influence prisoners to engage in training, education, psychology and community in-reach services within the prison system.

Knowledge of the legal framework which governs the management of prisoners and skills such as searching and restraint techniques are important competencies for prison staff, however, the most important aspects of operating as an effective Prison Officer is the capacity to relate to and engage with prisoners, act with professionalism, tolerance and humanity and the ability to role model positive social behaviour. Such traits stem from life experience and personal values.

 

Recruit Prison Officer Competencies:

• Directing Others


• Supporting Others


• Conscientiousness


• Resilience


• Adaptability


• Information Handling and Communication