A weekend of hope

In France the far right National Rally is projected to come third in the second round of the parliamentary elections. A nation has rejected hatred and bigotry. The extraordinary gamble of President Macron (aka "Jupiter") appears to have paid off 🇫🇷

Britain's new government has formally cancelled the cruel and b*****t policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda. Not a single migrant was deported agsinst their will, but around £300 million may have been wasted on the scheme. The new Prisons minister is James Timpson, CEO of a shoe repair chain that is renowned for employing ex-offenders. Policy will shift from punishment to rehabilitation 🇬🇧

For the first time in years I am genuinely optimistic for the future.

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ninalanyon · 61-69, T

I suspect that Timpson will have a tough job. I wish him well but prison problems won't be solved by merely rearranging the organization, it needs money too. Not to mention that prison officers need better training as well as better pay.

Contrast British prisons with those in Norway. Not the supposedly luxurious accommodation but the training given and required of the staff. To become a prison officer in Norway you must attend and pass a two year course. You get paid while doing it though. The course gives 120 study points (ECTS credits) which is two thirds of a bachelors degree.
https://www.krus.no/fengselsbetjentutdanningen.6251932-511853.html

Whereas in the UK:

Direct Application

You could apply directly to be a prison officer. You do not need qualifications as personal qualities are more important in this role.

You'll need to take an online test to check your judgement and number skills.

If you pass, you'll attend an assessment day where you'll be tested on your:

number, reading and writing skills
fitness
health, hearing and eyesight

You'll also have an interview and take part in role plays to see if you have the right personal qualities to be a prison officer.

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/prison-officer

I presume that there must be on the job training but the page doesn't elaborate. But this page: https://prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk/roles-at-hmpps/prison-officer/prison-officer-training/
says that the foundation training is eleven weeks.

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@ninalanyon About 25% of the prisons budget was cut during the austerity years. Thousands of staff were made redundant and then had to be hastily re-employed as inmate numbers increased. An entry level officer is civil service administrative grade, which is crazy given the personal risk and energy required. The service is quite successful in attracting graduates (usually with law or criminology degrees) but these tend to be fast trackers who spend perhaps a year with the prisoners before going into management.

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