A female prison officer from Buckinghamshire has opened up about her experiences of working behind bars at Christmas to help keep the public safe.
‘Working on the Wings at Christmas in a male prison is challenging but rewarding’
- Molly Beazley is a prison officer in Buckinghamshire and she wants you to join the team
- Prison officer salaries at HMP Woodhill now start at £36,541
Molly Beazley, 27, alongside other hard working prison staff, is playing a crucial role in supporting the prison system through challenging times, with prisons until recently close to full. Staff will play a key role in rebuilding the prison system so that it is more effective at cutting reoffending rates among those leaving prison.
Officer Beazley joined HMP Woodhill at the age of 22 and explains the importance of working on the landings during the festive period, while urging others to follow in her footsteps.
She says: “I joined the prison service around six years ago and I’ve worked on the Wings at HMP Woodhill almost every festive period since. This has meant making sacrifices as I often have to leave my family early in the morning to work at the prison, but I do find being a prison officer particularly rewarding during this time of the year.
“It can be a challenging time for prisoners who are away from their families, but our role is to be there to support them. Often prisoners themselves have empathy for us prison officers as they understand that we are also away from loved ones.”
When Officer Beazley left university to be prison officer, she believes that people thought she wouldn’t have what it takes to make a success of the role. She says: “When I became a prison officer people under-estimated me as I think they thought that I would be too soft to work on the Wings. But five years on, I’m still here.
“Nothing can prepare you for what the prison environment is like. If you’ve not worked in a prison before – it will be like nothing else you’ve experienced, but it is hugely rewarding. While it’s hard to start with, it’s the people that made me want to keep coming back to work every day – you get to interact with so many different types of people.
Officer Beazley has recently moved prisons to work at HMP Grendon and Springhill as a Prison Officer Specialist for Therapeutic delivery. She adds: “Communication skills play a huge part in a prison officer’s role so to make a success of it you need to enjoy interacting with human beings as that is what everyone is behind prison walls. I love my job and find it really satisfying being able to build rapports with prisoners to help them progress – this gives me a real source of happiness.”
New prison officer recruits at HMP Woodhill start on a salary of £36,541 and full training will be given. To find out more visit:
https://prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk/?utm_campaign=prc_christmas_woodhill&utm_medium=media &utm_source=pr
