HM Prison and Probation Service

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HM Prison and Probation Service run prisons and probation services across England and Wales.

gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-prison-service

HM Prison and Probation Service job reviews

Showing 217 reviews

  • Best thing

    The teamwork and camaraderie amongst peers
    Every day is different

    Worst thing

    Lack of support from senior management
    Too soft with prisoners

    2.8

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, February 2025

  • Best thing

    Working 4 Shifts a week

    Worst thing

    Violence, drugs, self harm, national offices not knowing what they are doing as they have never been on the ground floor

    5.0

    Custodial manager at HM Prison and Probation Service, February 2025

  • Best thing

    I enjoy helping people

    Worst thing

    Prisoners are listened to more than staff

    1.1

    Prison custody officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, February 2025

  • Best thing

    My boss

    Worst thing

    The people I work with

    5.5

    Escort at HM Prison and Probation Service, January 2025

  • Best thing

    Your colleagues and peers

    Worst thing

    Higher level management

    5.5

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, January 2025

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  • Best thing

    Team, pension

    Worst thing

    Not always getting your breaks
    Leaving late pretty much everyday
    No managers around
    Governors don’t care about staff

    3.7

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, January 2025

  • Best thing

    Money

    Worst thing

    Long hours and too stressful

    2.8

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, December 2024

  • Best thing

    Colleagues I work worh

    Worst thing

    Stress and anxiety it causes

    2.6

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, November 2024

  • Best thing

    Plenty of time off.

    Worst thing

    Politics of the work place staff can be more dramatic than prisoners sometimes

    3.7

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, October 2024

  • Best thing

    It's not boring, some of the people

    Worst thing

    Contractors, unclear line management, frequently changing guidance, some of the people

    3.0

    Administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, October 2024

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  • Best thing

    Free gym

    Worst thing

    Staff and management

    6.0

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, September 2024

  • Best thing

    Leave and gym

    Worst thing

    Shifts and unsocial hours

    6.0

    Security officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, August 2024

  • Best thing

    I get job satisfaction

    Worst thing

    Sexism, insults, being belittled.

    3.7

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, August 2024

  • Best thing

    Lots of leave

    Worst thing

    Potential danger

    9.0

    Custodial manager at HM Prison and Probation Service, August 2024

  • Best thing

    Hours.

    Worst thing

    Pay, stresses and lack of fulfillment.

    6.9

    Senior administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, August 2024

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  • Best thing

    The people I work with
    Every day is different

    Worst thing

    High workload and no time to do it

    7.5

    Probation service officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, July 2024

  • Best thing

    The hours and ease of the job

    Worst thing

    Management lack of understanding

    3.3

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, July 2024

  • Best thing

    I ask if I can learn new things and I can

    Worst thing

    Sometimes communication between different roles and teams

    9.4

    Administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, July 2024

  • Best thing

    No two days are the same, varied.

    Worst thing

    Management have no clue how to manage.

    1.1

    Administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, June 2024

  • Best thing

    Days off after nights

    Worst thing

    Shifts

    2.0

    OSG at HM Prison and Probation Service, June 2024

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  • Best thing

    The benefits. Career opportunities.

    Worst thing

    Working in a cat c prison. Management. Prison service is stuck in old ways. Unfair work culture, ie managers etc can work from home but admin staff cannot.

    6.1

    Administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, April 2024

  • Best thing

    Staff members
    Having a laugh and changing people lives

    Worst thing

    Staff members

    7.3

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, March 2024

  • Best thing

    Great team

    Worst thing

    Higher ups making decisions without even working the landings

    9.0

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, March 2024

  • Best thing

    Pay
    No 2 days are the same

    Worst thing

    Stressful
    Lazy management
    Priorities are all wrong

    4.5

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, March 2024

  • Best thing

    The people I work with

    Worst thing

    Under staffed

    4.9

    Operational support grade at HM Prison and Probation Service, February 2024

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  • Best thing

    The people we work with, their values.

    Worst thing

    Too much HR, policies and procedures to work too. Lost the personal touch

    7.3

    Senior administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, February 2024

  • Best thing

    Booking holiday, potential to make money through overtime

    Worst thing

    Not safe

    4.1

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, February 2024

  • Best thing

    Work colleagues and how understanding they are

    Worst thing

    Management ignores your concerns.
    Management does not care if you are doing 2 peoples job, they expect you to do 5 peoples job. When you do Not complete it in time, you get shouted at and a telling off. Which then they treat you arrogantly.

    1.9

    Receptionist at HM Prison and Probation Service, January 2024

  • Best thing

    You get what you put in to the job, it's a hard job but full with people who are great to work with.

    Worst thing

    Under valued by the community and not appreciated by the government on the environment that can be improved

    6.2

    Custodial manager at HM Prison and Probation Service, December 2023

  • Best thing

    Always something different day to day

    Worst thing

    Not a lot of movement and can be repetitive at times

    8.0

    Administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, December 2023

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  • Best thing

    Face to face work with service users

    Worst thing

    Office politics and poor organisation structure

    2.5

    Probation service officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, December 2023

  • Best thing

    Learning the prisoners and talking to them

    Worst thing

    Violence

    3.7

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, December 2023

  • Best thing

    The people that you work with every day are brilliant because we are all in it together. There is always something new happening.

    Worst thing

    The shifts are a bit all over the place. Sometimes the management don't realise what actually happens on shift.

    9.8

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, November 2023

  • Best thing

    Job security
    Good pension
    Opportunities for paid overtime

    Worst thing

    Risk of injury
    Challenging day-to-day

    5.0

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, November 2023

  • Best thing

    Keeps you challenged

    Worst thing

    Pay, management support, lack of staff, unsafe environment

    4.2

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, November 2023

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  • Best thing

    Contributing to positive change

    Worst thing

    Unrealistic timings for completion of admin and the amount of unmeasured tasks which are not reflected in workload measurements

    3.7

    Probation service officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, November 2023

  • Best thing

    Flexi time

    Worst thing

    Lack of progression and training opportunities

    8.0

    Administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, November 2023

  • Best thing

    As long as you treat people fairly you're days can be a good laugh and go very smoothly

    Worst thing

    Lack of staff and some staff looking down on others

    9.9

    Chef at HM Prison and Probation Service, October 2023

  • Best thing

    It's so rewarding when someone you support finally makes positive changes in their life.

    Worst thing

    The stress, the lack of staff, the pay in comparison to the harm you may experience.

    4.9

    Probation service officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, October 2023

  • Best thing

    Good pay, benefits and holidays

    Worst thing

    High workload, poor training

    7.3

    Probation service officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, October 2023

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  • Best thing

    Flexitime working, colleagues in my team

    Worst thing

    Pay, lack of appreciation for admin from rest of office, high workload

    4.1

    Administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, October 2023

  • Best thing

    My team
    The service users

    Worst thing

    Statistics and data
    The management

    4.1

    Probation service officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, September 2023

  • Best thing

    The people along side me

    Worst thing

    Management

    5.0

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, September 2023

  • Best thing

    Working with lots of different people
    Supportive colleagues and managers
    Interesting

    Worst thing

    Being short staffed
    Constantly changes to processes
    Too much paperwork and processes to do, many of which are duplication, just to give the quality control team something to do

    8.3

    Probation service officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, September 2023

  • Best thing

    People in the office, interesting work, job prospects

    Worst thing

    Unreasonable Manager

    8.5

    Administrator at HM Prison and Probation Service, September 2023

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  • Best thing

    Be able to help other

    Worst thing

    No support

    6.0

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, August 2023

  • Best thing

    Pay. Work colleagues.

    Worst thing

    Prisoners being aggressive.

    9.8

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, August 2023

  • Best thing

    Team, restraints, making small differences, keeping bad people away from family

    Worst thing

    Unsure what you are walking into, prison system doesn't actually work for extreme cases

    8.0

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, August 2023

  • Best thing

    Good teamwork and great staff . Every day is different

    Worst thing

    Dangerous .
    Understaffed .

    7.0

    Youth justice worker at HM Prison and Probation Service, July 2023

  • Best thing

    People around you.

    Worst thing

    People around you.

    7.8

    Prison officer at HM Prison and Probation Service, July 2023