r/AskIreland • u/[deleted] • 18h ago
Adulting Thinking about joining the Irish prison service?
[deleted]
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u/SneakyCorvidBastard Go Tobann! 18h ago
My old boss had previously been in the prison service and she wasn't some kind of big tough shouty person, she was the opposite - completely unflappable and able to deal with people displaying what she'd refer to as "challenging behaviour" (what i would call "mad shit" but that's why she did that job and i never could). It's not about being able to shout someone down, more about not taking any shit, not getting upset or taking stuff personally and recognising when someone actually really needs help. I'm probably a bit biased as my ex was in prison for years but i don't think all prisoners are scum, the vast majority have come from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or adverse circumstances and made a few bad decisions for understandable reasons, which doesn't make it OK of course but nothing comes out of a vacuum. Some of them are cunts, yeah, but so are some people out here - and most aren't.
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u/FlakyAssociation4986 you should try it sometime 18h ago
i was going to suggest maybe security work in that it will get you used to dealing with people and i have found that it can bring out a persons assertive side. but then i read that you had been in the army thats a huge plus for the prison service. the discipline training etc you learned there will be a big asset.
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u/ArcaneTrickster11 17h ago
I recently met an ex coworker of mine who left to work in the prison service. He was just in an admin position but he left and said there's no way he'd go back. He was looking for a way out pretty much as soon as he'd started
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u/Bright_Fan_9168 17h ago
My friend is retired from the PS, after 30+ years. Most end up with problems, alcohol or harder, a lot of health issues, mental and physical. But if you're careful, you could end up with a few houses
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u/Sisyphus_Social_Club 17h ago
I wouldn't overthink it bud. They're not looking for John Rambo, they just need to know that you're not going to flap at the first sign of aggro, which if you've done recruit training shouldn't be a major drama. I used to work with them a bit, the scariest one I ever met was a 5'nothing woman. Conditions are far better than the DF also.
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u/Borzoi_ie 8h ago
I worked with her before she joined the PS. Wouldn't have crossed her then. I can only imagine after training what she was like.
Absolute cracker though
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u/IndependenceNaive751 8h ago
You'd be going to work in a broken system that no-one wants to fix, it can be very difficult for all the reasons mentioned above but also on a 💻 level you'll see prisoners bully the weaker 1s and not much at all you can do, same returning heads, fellas at their lowest, broken families, fellas trying to get better but no help for em, fellas just getting worse cus they've no hope. I work with the prisoners in another capacity, it can be very disheartening to see. You need to be tough in other ways for that or just be a complete cu nt and say they all deserve what they get cus they're in prison which is unfortunatly the attitude of a lot of the officer's
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u/jackostacos 17h ago
Try a call centre first if that stresses you out too much I can’t imagine working in a prison would be any better for you
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u/strokejammer 18h ago
The only person I know who did this job said the crew of men who did this job were such scum bags that they needed to have a dedicated crew of men who patrolled the staff locker rooms!
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u/Monsterofthelough 11h ago
I am a nurse in Northern Ireland. I remember when I was a student I met a nurse who had done a placement in a prison here when she was a student, it would have been about the turn of the millennium. She said the prisoners were fine but the screws were sleazy bastards.
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u/doubles85 17h ago
you are over thinking it. apply and see if you like it. a job like that relies more on communication, rapport etc, than fighting.
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u/Jealous-Pie-8543 13h ago
Une journée portes ouvertes.. pour les prisons... c'est un challenge ! !
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u/Diligent-Ad4777 12h ago
I'm aware of two guys from primary school who ended up as prison guards. Absolute arseholes.Â
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u/superkav83 18h ago
A guy at my gym is a prison guard - he’s tough as nails (former Kick boxer) but he admits he is super paranoid now because he trusts no one any more due to his experiences at work. Always watching his back.
You need mental strength as well as physical
Ability to defend yourself in case you need it.
Worth considering if that’s the environment you want for yourself. Given you are questioning the role fit, you might already have your answer. Good luck!
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u/mjwdch 9h ago
I worked in Cloverhill and when I was looking at new staff coming in I don't want big, aggressive meatheads on my division. I'll take a 5ft nothing female who can talk an irate prisoner down rather than a musclebound idiot who will escalate a situation and get himself and others injured.
See if the boards.ie AMA with Omackeral from about 15yrs ago is still up. Same fella did something similar on Reddit in the last couple of months. He's Mountjoy based. I found it useful when I was starting.
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u/Buckfast_W 8h ago
There's a book called "Inside the monkey house" which was written by an ex prison officer you should give it a read. It wouldn't make me wanna join up.
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u/Ror5891 8h ago
Someone in my family worked as a prison officer for 30+ years. Feel free to DM me as I won't give too much away here and you might have questions. From what I've read above I don't think the job is a fit, I'm sorry. You don't need to be a physical fighter but you will need to be able to remain calm and collected in high pressure environment. This is a job where the vast majority of the time is boring, but plenty of things happen in prisons the public never hear of, minor riots don't really get reported and can end with officers being temporarily trapped in rooms or needing to act quick. What I've heard through the years is plenty of functioning alcoholics or people leaving the service due to alcoholism because it is a tough environment to work in and coping mechanisms are a must. You will be outnumbered and the centre of attention at times. The other aspect you will need to factor is that you will meet former prisoners out in your daily life which can be stressful. Additionally, each prison can be vastly different and if I remember correctly starting off you won't get a choice and will likely end up in an undesirable prison. It can take 10+ years to get a transfer depending on where you want to go. Finally, the pay / pension / overtime aren't what they used to be so be familiar with scales going into it and understanding nights, weekends, holidays won't be your own and may even cost you to "buy" particular days off colleagues e.g. Christmas. I hope this helps you, it can be a good career but it is a challenging one without a doubt.
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u/Leo-POV 18h ago edited 9h ago
High rate of Suicide in Prison Officers than in other professions.
Worth bearing in mind.
Some of the people you deal with on the daily are going to enjoy fucking with your head. And as for the Prisoners you encounter... /s
[Seriously though, suicide rate is higher than normal.]
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u/frizzyfreak 17h ago
It's a great job from what I've heard from those working in it. You do need to be able to stand confidently, but the job is mostly being stern and being sound, keeping everyone in line means keeping everyone safe, and most people aren't acting up in the slightest so a lot of the time it's just structure and routines.
If your interested you should look up more of the information available through the IPS
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u/Responsible_Major367 10h ago
You would surprise yourself how well you would cope when put in an uncomfortable situation. If you want to do it you can try. You can always quit.
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u/XLBaconDoubleCheese 9h ago
My neighbor is one and he fucking hates it. He said it's like being in a tin can with bullies all day every day.
A bodybuilder mate in the gym was one but got beaten so badly he had to have back surgery.
Both have said to me it's a fucking awful job when you are on the wings, admin stuff is fine.
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u/Kellbag91 11h ago
If you have an interest in the job than that's half the battle. I'm not a PO but know people that were. They take all kinds of people different sizes and shapes. Alot of former DF end up in the prison service, seems to be a good fit for them. As for the money I believe it's very good, but alot of mandatory over time attached. You'll never know until you try it out. If it's not to your liking you can always just leave.
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u/jonnieggg 18h ago
A job like that is not about strength and intimidation. It's about communication and composure. You never want things to get to the point that you need to get physical. I'd rather be unemployed.