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Prison and Probation Service

In England and Wales, probation officers are employed by the Probation Service, which operates under HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), an executive agency sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. This service collaborates across the criminal justice system to rehabilitate offenders while ensuring public safety. HMPPS employs over 64,000 staff as of 2023 and manages 109 of the 123 prisons in England and Wales, ensuring individuals in custody are securely held and supported in leading law-abiding lives.  

Some prisons are run by private firms such as G4S and Serco, which recruit staff independently. 

The National Probation Service supervises high-risk offenders in the community, focusing on both rehabilitation and public protection.  For more information read Gov.uk Probation Workforce Strategy 2023-2025.  In 2025, in response to prison overcrowding and a lack of prison space, the government authorised the early release of many prisoners back into the community.  This has resulted in additional need for Probation Officers and a recruitment drive.  

In Scotland, probation responsibilities fall to local authority social work departments and are known as criminal justice social work. In Northern Ireland, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) oversees this function. 

If you chose to work in Prison and Probation services, you'll be responsible for the security, supervision, training and rehabilitation of prisoners, and will require the ability to build positive working relationships, show compassion, while maintaining authority.  

Typical duties include: 

Probation officers 

  • manage offenders to protect the public and reduce potential reoffending
  • work with offenders in custody, courts, and in the community
  • interact with the police, victims and prison service colleagues
  • liaise with relevant statutory and voluntary agencies
  • some may manage residential premises for offenders and ex-prisoners
  • manage and enforce the conditions of community orders. 

Prison officers 

  • supervise and manage prisoners, keeping the prison safe and secure
  • conduct searches on prisoners, staff and visitors
  • respond and manage the day-to-day challenges prisoners can present
  • keep detailed records and timely reports, to maintain decency, safety and security. 

Further Research 

Skills employers look for

Every employer is different so there are no definitive lists here.  These are meant as a guide and should be considered in addition to fully exploring role requirements outlined in person specification, job description and advert for each role you consider applying for. 

  • Emotional intelligence and empathy are crucial for building trust with service users, and to help understand their experiences and motivations to support meaningful rehabilitation.
  • Great communication and the ability to build rapport quickly to engage individuals from diverse backgrounds and encouraging honest dialogue and cooperation.
  • Resilience and self-confidence to manage setbacks, handle challenging behaviour, and remain focused on long-term goals for offender rehabilitation.
  • Teamwork is vital in coordinating with other professionals, such as social workers and law enforcement, to create effective support plans and manage risk in the community.
  • The ability to de-escalate potentially volatile situations ensures the safety of all while maintaining constructive working relationships.
  • The ability to stay calm under pressure and think on your feet is essential for responding appropriately to unpredictable situations and making sound decisions that balance risk with support. 

Watch this short video from HM Prison and Probation Service to learn more about the skills and qualities required to work in this challenging work environment. 

To develop these skills, the Career Zone offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions, which you can book via Handshake. These run at least once per term and cover topics such as communication, decision-making, leadership and resilience. 

For further ideas, explore the Developing Experience and Further Study and Professional Development sections on this page to find out how volunteering, part-time roles, and qualifications can help you grow these skills and show evidence of them to employers. 

Gaining Experience

Experience of working with challenging behaviour is essential when applying for prison and probation roles. It can also be helpful for deciding if the work is right for you. All experiences ranging from volunteering, active involvement in clubs/societies can help you to build relevant and transferable skills. You may wish to consider involvement in:   

Volunteering 

You can volunteer in a prison, or work with ex-offenders, disadvantaged people and deprived communities. Explore opportunity in the many charities working in this sector e.g. 

Other opportunities working with under-represented communities or those in need can help you develop relevant skills. For example, volunteering with  Citizens Advice can help you develop advocacy skills. 

Campus opportunities 

it is useful to have experience of working with individuals or groups in the community, such as sports coaching or working with local youth groups. Look at opportunities available via The Guild and Students Union or consider becoming a university Community Engagement Officers . 

Speculative applications and where to find opportunities 

Undertaking relevant work experience will also allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector. As jobs and opportunities are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively. Before visiting the sites below, you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page. 

Identify local prisons, young offender institutes and probation services using: 

Finding advertised graduate roles, placements and internships

When applying for a job or leadership programme, such as Unlocked, it’s worth familiarising yourself with the selection process as much as possible, as recruitment to uniformed services is often both detailed and lengthy, involving in person assessments (often over more than one day), as well as aptitude and physical fitness tests.  

Check the details, including factors such as criminal record, citizenship requirements, health and mental health issues and age limitations. 

Also use online magazines and journals to follow news from this sector. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews. 

Examples include: 

Look for vacancies at: 

Recruitment agencies 

Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course. 

Specialist agencies include: 

Graduate schemes and internships 

Unlocked Graduates is a two-year Leadership Development Programme for graduates interested in prison reform. The programme combines frontline work experience, study towards a master’s degree and the chance to publish research. Recruitment takes place on a rolling basis. The key skills and attributes sought are a sense of possibility (that change can happen), decision making, leadership, relationship building, resilience, self-awareness and motivation for Unlocked's mission. 

Handshake search for internships.  

Further sources of support 

If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally. 

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal.

Further study and professional development

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to build their skills and knowledge of the sector and related occupations. Not all roles or employers in the field of law enforcement will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications. For a description of routes, training and career progression read: 

Become a prison officer. 

There is direct entry into work as a Prison Officer with opportunity for career development beyond a probationary period of training.  Prison officer career progression – Prison and Probation Jobs details specialist opportunity and progression pathways. 

Become a probation officer. 

The Probation Service requires applicants to have NVQ Level 5 or a Degree. Recruitment is generally twice a year and will depend on the location that you wish to work in. Training for the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) will take between 15 and 21months depending on whether you have studied relevant modules at University, such as: 

  • The Criminal Justice System
  • Understanding Crime and Criminal Behaviour
  • Penal Policy and the Punishment of Offenders
  • Rehabilitation of Offenders. 

If you have not studied these, the training will take 21 months. 

To work as Probation Officer in Northern Ireland, you must have a Degree in Social Work and Entry requirements onto the Degree are usually 3 A levels in any subject Work Experience with Probation | Probation Board for Northern Ireland 

Information and links from professional bodies 

Being a member of a professional body is voluntary; however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector.  

Key organisations include: 

Advice 

If you are considering postgraduate or doctoral level study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study.