Mentoring Prison Officers

Unlocked Graduates exists to break cycles of reoffending. Currently, prison is not a place which does that, with over 50% of prisoners released from short-term sentences reconvicted within 12 months. We believe the transformative relationships between prison officers and those in their care are key to this. Prison officers are the agents of change in prisons, and they are the only professionals able to reach all prisoners, including the most vulnerable. Since 2017, Unlocked has sought to lead this change by recruiting, training and challenging nearly 900 ambitious graduates to become outstanding prison officers and high-performing leaders across 38 different prisons in England and Wales.

Our fantastic team of Mentoring Prison Officers are experienced prison officers who work directly with participants on the Unlocked programme, providing continuous support to them throughout their first two years on the frontline of some of the toughest prisons in England and Wales. They lead our unique, evidence-based training and support model, which continues to show significant success. They offer advice and assistance to new prison officers on our programme, enabling them to have the greatest possible impact on the landings, transforming the lives of prisoners in their care and ultimately reducing reoffending.