'I can honestly say I love my job' - Portlaoise prison officers speak up

A big recruitment drive is underway for new prison officers in Ireland, and Portlaoise Prison Campus in Laois has more than most, with two prisons on site holding over 1,200 men, staffed by over 300 people.

With just a few years left to go on their 30 years of service, three prison officers in the Midlands Prison talked to the Leinster Express about their careers.

Shane is Assistant Chief Officer in charge of catering and baking in Midlands Prison. He joined 23 years ago.

“At the time it was for job security, it was an attractive salary and I was looking to get a house and a car. I was able to save my leave and take it all at one time so I got to travel the world when I was young too.

“I started in Wheatfield and transferred to Portlaoise in 2006. Then I applied to study catering and got sent to college for two years, and after that I did a diploma in criminology and criminal psychology.

“I love cooking and food and for your work to send you to college to study it, you wouldn’t get that in another job. I love working with people, helping people out,” he said.

Working in a busy kitchen where knives could be weapons requires mutual respect Shane said.

If you respect people you will get that back. I have never been personally attacked by any prisoner. Actually there were a couple of situations where prisoners told others to stand back.

“We interview them first, you can see if they are suited or not to it. You have to be wise to security. In the last year 18 of them got their Food Hygiene Level 1 certs.

“In the kitchen, 90% of them find their own love of cooking, many never cooked before for their families, and have said to me that they can’t wait to cook a meal for their wives,” he said.

The prison service has changed Shane said said.
“23 years ago the focus was on punishment, now it’s on rehabilitation. The prisoners each have toilets and showers, televisions, kettles.

“I would definitely recommend this job, there are so many opportunities for further education, and the money is very good. I’m building a new house and there is no way I’d get this kind of house without this job,” he said.

Joyce has worked her way up to become Chief Officer of Work Training, after 21 years in service.
“I could retire in nine years but I’ll probably stay till I’m 60. I can honestly say I love my job and not many can say that”.

Her high grade means she works regular office hours now.
“With all the promotions I have a good work life balance, I’m off at weekends, nights and for Christmas. I’ve loved it from the very beginning when I started in the Dochas women’s prison in Mountjoy. Every day is different.

“I worked before in management, so it was a change to come into a closed area on 12 hour shifts, with women that at that stage were mostly older or my age. I got a sense of the disadvantaged backgrounds that some people have to grow up with. You see how lucky you are.

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“I moved to the Midlands Prison to be nearer home when I had my first child. As a female prison officer, some people might see it as a dangerous job, but I honestly don’t see gender as a difference in the job. We are not treated any differently any more, the pay is identical, there is a great sense of community. The gender mix is important, there is a different atmosphere, I believe its needed. A mix of nationalities is too, it’s fantastic,” she said.

One of the youngest officers in Midlands Prison is Andrea, who joined aged 22 four years ago, after finishing a BA in Business and Accounting, and qualifying as a financial advisor.

She explained why she changed her career path.
“I have family in the job, and while they would never have put my personality as one for being a prison officer, I just hated the boring Monday to Friday 9 to 5.

“Every day you meet someone new. I started in Dóchas, commuting nearly two hours from home. I found that many of the women prisoners are on their own, no-one visits them, they have nothing, down to shoes on their feet.

“A lot of the women in prison would have mental disorders, but in prison they got healthcare, toiletries, clean clothes, workshops and training and they could earn money. When they get out a lot tend to have come from domestic violence or addictions and they can go back to the same pattern, and perhaps come back half their size, bringing addictions or being pregnant and then they have more problems.

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“The job is trying to prevent that. Being young, I feel I can bridge the gap a bit between the outside, I sing to the same music, I’d have the same style, it’s just that they are behind the door and I’m the one locking it,” Andrea said.

Half of her career has effectively been during the pandemic.
“It changed prisoners I think. They completely relied on us to visit their cells and care for them, and it felt like they appreciated us doing that,” she said.

Covid-19 also brought the introduction of video link calls, which will now be kept on. Now prisoners have a choice of two physical visits and two video links or four video links a month.
“We can even set up video links so that they can be virtually at a graveside for a family funeral,” Joyce said.