Independent, accurate and open about corrections.

Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently of any employer, union, government body or advertiser. We do not accept payment to publish, change or remove content. Paid products on the site are ours; they never alter what a free guide says.

Accuracy standards

• Facts must trace to a primary or reputable source that we have opened and read.
• We never invent statistics, quotes, case names, testimonials, ratings or user counts.
• Every time-sensitive claim carries an "as at" date; every guide carries a reviewed date.
• We state which nation (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland) a rule applies to.
• If we cannot verify something, we say so and point you to the right authority.

Who writes the guides, and how AI is used

Guides and prison pages are published under the byline "Prison Officer Pay Editorial". That is an editorial team name for an independent publication, not a named individual: we do not present any author as a serving officer, lawyer, pensions adviser or other credentialed expert, and no page should be read as if one wrote it.

Most of the text on this site is drafted with the help of AI tools working from primary sources collected for each topic, and then checked. Pay figures are not typed into articles: they come from one data file built from the PSPRB report and HMPPS publications, and automated checks confirm that guides use those numbers and that internal links work. The "reviewed" date on a page is the date it was last checked against its sources; it does not mean a named specialist has signed it off. AI features inside paid tools are labelled and answer from the figures on your screen.

AI-assisted drafting can still get things wrong, which is why every guide lists its sources and why we want corrections: see the corrections policy.

Sensitive topics

For conduct, discipline, health and pension decisions we explain the published process and tell you to take advice from your representative or a qualified adviser. We never encourage anyone to obstruct an investigation or evade a process.

Corrections

If we get something wrong we fix it promptly, update the reviewed date and, where the error mattered, note the change on the page. Report errors through the contact form.

Commercial relationships

Free tools sit alongside optional paid tools. We always label paid tools as paid. Links to official sources are not affiliate links.

Independent, not affiliated

Prison Officer Pay is independent. It is not affiliated with HMPPS, the Ministry of Justice, the Scottish Prison Service, the Northern Ireland Prison Service, the POA or any other union or employer.

See also: Source policy · Corrections policy · Methodology and sources · About us.