Organisation: Corrections Victoria, Department of Justice and Regulation
Job Title: Prison Officer
Word Limit: 200 words or less per criterion
Location: Victoria
What is your understanding of the role of a Prison Officer?
My understanding of the role of a Prison Officer is that they work within a professional team and are responsible for the supervision, security and rehabilitation of prisoners. They must be able to establish a positive relationship with prisoners and possess a large amount of empathy and understanding while also holding a position of power and maintaining integrity. A custodial environment can often be faced with numerous unexpected situations, so a Prison Officer must be able to make quick decisions while remaining focused at all times.
Not only must Prison Officers ensure a safe and healthy environment for prisoners, but they must take on a role of mentor to motivate prisoners to take actions that are best for themselves and others. This could involve encouraging prisoners to partake in rehabilitation programs and helping them to put a plan together that makes the best use of their time inside, such as vocational training. A Prison Officer needs to be someone with superior relationship building skills as it would be imperative to know when to show prisoners who is in charge and when to show them empathy and understanding.
Prison Officers put structure into people’s lives to give them purpose and meaning.
What motivated you to apply?
My wealth of life experience has provided me with many opportunities where I have been committed to helping others. My understanding of human nature and genuine commitment to others is what motivated me to apply for the role of Prison Officer where I believe the biggest reward will be knowing that I have helped to put structure into people’s lives. Supporting others to make the right choices is something that resonates strongly with me and my desire to understand, respect and protect the most vulnerable, steers me to be an empathetic and effective facilitator of my clients. It is amazing how powerful a motivator it is when you are told you can make a difference.
At this stage in my life, I want a long-term career – something that I will be passionate about, and a role that I will be in until retirement. The role of Prison Officer strikes me as one that will be one of the most challenging, rewarding and varied careers that I have encountered. Not least, because of the people and situations that I will face, but because of the difference that I can make to the lives of offenders, their families and the community.
What relevant skills and experience do you bring?
I have over two years of experience as a Client Services Officer, working at the Wickham Point Immigration Detention Centre where my role has been to provide high quality services to those in care, including accommodation and facilities management, catering, recreation, education and excursions. Additionally, I am responsible for maintaining security with respect for humanity and dignity and acting as an Officer of the Commonwealth, which has required high levels of conflict management and negotiation skills. Previous roles as a Patient Care Assistant and Enrolled Nurse have seen me gain interpersonal skills where I have built rapport with others in order to understand issues and suggest courses of actions appropriate to their needs.
I have high levels of written and verbal communication skills and extensive experience with note taking, documentation and reports, including individual management plans. Computer skills have been developed throughout my career, particularly in my role as Administration Officer. My intuitive and resilient nature enables me to take responsibility for actions in order to achieve objectives while coping effectively with setbacks and problems. Due to extensive travels overseas, I can appreciate a range of different cultures and actively seek to understand and address issues and views of others.
