Under cover BBC panorama

[Alright Dave]

Dublin officer. Not nonsense, I know all to well about people that are scared to get in it for different reasons. I'm not saying all but you have to admit there are some that are there just as a job.

[Dublin Officer]

If you have the staff and resources that is

Yes more staff would be good no matter where you work, but if it needs doing then it gets done, that's the job.

[Dublin Officer]

Dublin officer. Not nonsense, I know all to well about people that are scared to get in it for different reasons. I'm not saying all but you have to admit there are some that are there just as a job.

I agree and there are many who shouldn't be in the job, most will quickly find themselves off the landings-wings doing jobs with less prisoner contact, some quit and some get sacked but to say its worse in private prisons is a bit unfair, like I've already said same job, same prisoners, same situations with only our voices and training.

[Alright Dave]

Dublin officer, I didn't say it is private prisons as such. I merely meant that MAYBE it's more in the private sector as some of the staff there just want a 'security' type job. I'm in no way trying to offend you here. Only the divs that shouldn't be doing the job! Clearly I'm not very good at putting words to express my thought process

[Dublin Officer]

Dublin officer, I didn't say it is private prisons as such. I merely meant that MAYBE it's more in the private sector as some of the staff there just want a 'security' type job. I'm in no way trying to offend you here. Only the divs that shouldn't be doing the job! Clearly I'm not very good at putting words to express my thought process

you may not mean to offend but seriously a 'security' type job, is offensive, most people join a private prison to be a prison officer, as far as they are concerned there is no difference between public and private prisons, and there really isn't, I've worked both, private prison officers are just as committed to the job as those I worked with in public prison and on less pay.

[freak]

Dublin about time we had someone on here sticking up for the private sector
But the prison estate would be better if they were all hmp you yourself would be better off and calling you guys security guards is offensive but so is Questioning how brave we would be without a baton we are as good as each other except you guys have it harder with less tools to do the same job

[Dublin Officer]

Dublin about time we had someone on here sticking up for the private sector
But the prison estate would be better if they were all hmp you yourself would be better off and calling you guys security guards is offensive but so is Questioning how brave we would be without a baton we are as good as each other except you guys have it harder with less tools to do the same job

I agree it was offensive by me, and if I'm honest it was to make some people think about how it is for private prison officers,
again we should be all one group but aren't and can't see us ever being, well at least not in the forseeable future.
the simple fact there are many public prison officers who have no idea about what goes on in a private prison, I had one tell me that we get to cherry pick our prisoners and don't take on the worse, which again is nonsense we've had many Tornado in, talking of Tornado teams most don't even realise that they are a mixture of public and private officers,
we are all suffering the same pain at the moment.

[Thepower]

Dublin Officer... no disrespect is meant to you or your colleagues as public and private is basically the same job... it's more to do with your employers who seem hell bent on putting its staff and it's prisoners at risk in terms of staff numbers etc, however this was seen by someone at NOMS who must've thought the public sector could be run the same however no prison can run safely with the shortages off staff, jail craft and over crowding.

However I still think HMP is run better than any private prison, but this not due to staff in the private sector, my first establishment not Northumberland was a public sector jail which was taken over by the private sector and its gone nothing but downhill since, speaking to former colleagues they now run on less than half the staff they had in 2010, believe me this was a good Jail full of experience full off staff with hardly ever any issues! I'd say personally the best jail in the country up until s few years ago! It seemed to have to many staff when I first started!

Also I was in the service for 9 years I drew my baton twice believe me it is not a toy, most the time it just weighs you down but if it's needed it's needed, No staff should come into the job expecting to be able to use it whenever they feel like it as PSO 1600 states

"Batons are used by officers in extreme circumstances as a defensive implement only with due regard to relevant medical implications."


As the manual states
"The drawing and use of a baton must be regarded as an exceptional measure.
A baton must never be regarded as anything other than a defensive implement."

[andylamb]

The power, I know your reply was more for Dublin, and I agree with you completely by the way.

Just wanted to say thank you and I was more informed by your reply than most of the others.
If anything I am looking forward to the role far much more now knowing how seriously you all take respect and integrity as officers.