Recruitment of over 300 prison officers gets underway

The Irish Prison Service has opened its recruitment campaign for prison officers as over 300 are to be hired this year and next. 

Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee welcomed the opening of the 2022 campaign for the position of Recruit Prison Officer in the Irish Prison Service. She urged people, especially those in minority and new Irish communities, to consider the Irish Prison Service as a career.

The competition is being run by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of the Irish Prison Service. The Irish Prison Service intends to recruit up to 144 Recruit Prison Officers in 2022 with an additional 200 in 2023.

Minister McEntee said:  “I am delighted that the 2022 Recruit Prison Officer competition has now opened, allowing people the opportunity to join this frontline service. Being a Prison Officer is a very challenging and rewarding role.” 

“Prisoners will look to you, as the most accessible people they have in their lives, as figures of authority and also as people to learn from. You will have the opportunity to help prisoners see their time in custody as an opportunity to change their lives for the better and as a fresh beginning. As a Prison Officer you will be best placed to provide corrective experiences and demonstrate a good way of behaving,” she remarked. 

Director General of the Irish Prison Service Caron McCaffrey said: “The 2022 Recruit Prison Officer competition is very much welcomed and demonstrates our commitment to expanding our workforce. The role of Prison Officers can be both challenging and rewarding and our training will provide applicants with a greater understanding of the complex role a prison officer will face, which combines the provision of safe and secure custody, with care and rehabilitation of our prisoners.” 

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The last recruitment competition was held in early 2019 and classes have continued right throughout the pandemic. The 2022 Recruit Prison Officer Competition is open until Thursday, August 4,  2022 at 3pm.

As of February 1 the following salary scale applies to Recruit Prison Officers who are required to complete three years before becoming established prison officers: Year one:  €31,337, year two:  €32,545 and year three:  €35,379.

Information on the competition can be found by visiting the Public Appointments Service website at https://www.publicjobs.ie/en/.