What are your initial thoughts
when you think of a Prison
Officer?
Therapeutic Alliance:
Wearing Two Hats as a Prison
Officer
Officer Laura Smillie
&
Officer Emma Guthrie
Prison Service Statement of
Purpose
"Her Majesty's Prison Service serves
the public by keeping in custody
those committed by the courts. Our
duty is to look after them with
humanity and help them lead lawabiding and useful lives in custody
and after release."
Aims
Explore some of the challenges
a Prison Officer faces when
working in a therapeutic role
with female offenders.
Have your earlier
views altered?
What Can Make This Balance
Challenging?
Maintaining Security
Use of Control and Restraint
Searching
Self-harm
Intense Emotions (including ours!)
Mental Illness
Negative Views of Authority
Additional Difficulties - Staff
“They should get nothing”
“They’re a lost cause”
“Why do you care what happens to them
after what they did”
“I can’t believe you get paid to do that”
“Lock them up and throw away the key”
“Here come the care bears”
“Why try to rehabilitate they’ll never change”
How We Try To Obtain a
Therapeutic Alliance
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Want to do the job in the first place
Be consistent yet responsive to situations.
Transparent
Empathic
Don’t take things personally
Be persistent yet know when to leave it and
move on
Patient
Know the people you work with
Stay positive
Sense of humour – never lose it!!
“…I had no
respect for
officers, I would
continuously
kick out &
punch….”
Conclusions
We work in a challenging environment and
we believe a balance can be made but you
have to want to make that balance.
As we’ve highlighted there are increasing
numbers of females being held in custody
who have complex needs therefore isn’t it
more important to ensure we wear TWO
HATS!
Thank You
Any Questions?
[email protected]
[email protected]