Prison Officer Probation Period: Length, Reviews & Failing

In shortThe only official document we found gives two lengths, 12 months and 6 months, so plan for 12 and ask HR to confirm which applies to you.

The only official document we found that states a length for new prison officers is the Band 3 Prison Officer job description JD048 'Safe, Decent and Secure', version 8.0, issued on 26 February 2020.

HMPPS attaches it to current vacancies, including the HMP Birmingham advert published on 27 August 2026 and closing on 15 October 2026.

The two quoted statements below cannot both describe the same people in the same way. One reading is that 12 months is the older, post-POELT period and the six-month line is a Civil Service-wide rule for external joiners that was added later. That is our interpretation, not an HMPPS explanation.

The sensible reading for a candidate is to plan for 12 months and ask your recruitment team to confirm in your offer or contract which length and which start date applies to you.

Our POELT guide and week by week guide give the training stages that come first, and our first year guide places probation within the year.

Under technical requirements

'Following completion of the POELT course you will be subject to a 12 month probationary period.'

Under minimum eligibility, same page

'All external candidates are subject to 6 months' probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.'

2018 HMPPS blog and youth justice pages

The blog also said 12 months and said the clock starts one week before POELT at your home prison. HMPPS's youth justice worker pages refer to a 12-month probationary period.

Search summaries

A search summary we saw suggested external recruits serve six months; we could not confirm it from a primary page. The careers page itself confirms only that you must complete the probationary period at Band 3 before applying to Band 4.

In shortThe consequence of failing is stated plainly, but the process (pass mark, retakes, appeal) is not published and there is no official pass rate.

The strongest published statement is in the same job description, quoted below.

That wording is explicit about the consequence, but it sets no number of attempts, no pass mark and no appeal route.

Anyone who quotes a pass rate for POELT is not citing an official source: HMPPS does not publish one. Plenty of people pass, and the sources suggest support is available, for example from coaches and mentors, but we cannot give you figures.

Our site's earlier statement that 'the pass rate is high' has been removed for exactly this reason.

The job description's wording

'If successful in your application, your continuation in this role is dependent on passing all modules within the initial Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT), which is a pathway to becoming a fully competent Prison Officer. Failure to successfully complete and pass POELT course could result in your removal from this role and may result in the termination of your employment.'

• HMPPS's careers page says you are assessed continuously during the foundation course on all aspects of the role.
• The Use of Force Policy Framework says all new Band 3 officers are assessed against competence criteria at the end of initial training and issued with a logbook certifying competence.
• It also says untrained or uncertified staff must not be involved in planned control and restraint; we cover that in our control and restraint guide.
• There is no published rule on retaking a module, repeating a week, deferring to another cohort or on what happens if illness or injury interrupts training.

In shortEngland and Wales publish no equivalent, so the SPS 2017 policy (dated, a different employer) is a template for questions, not the rules you will face.

Because England and Wales do not publish an equivalent, it helps to see what a published prison-service probation policy looks like.

The Scottish Prison Service's Probationary Policy HR048/v001 was published on 15 November 2017 with a review date of 2020, so it is dated, and SPS is a separate employer with its own pay and terms.

Treat it as a template, not as the rules you will face. It sets a probationary period of one year for all new employees, forming part of the contract of employment, with the aim of letting SPS assess objectively whether the employee is suitable.

In shortThere is no published England and Wales checklist, so this is our reading of the role documents: observable duties, four behaviours and compliance.

There is no published England and Wales checklist, so this section is our reading of the published role documents, not an HMPPS statement. The job description lists the duties of the post, and those are the things a line manager can observe, so they are the realistic basis for judging whether you are performing.

The four behaviours in the person specification are communicating and influencing, managing a quality service, making effective decisions and caring or working together. They are assessed in recruitment, and they are a sensible way to think about what a probation conversation covers.

• Supervising prisoner activities including exercise and association, and making sure meals are served.
• Locking prisoners in, keeping the unit roll and unlocking in good time.
• Supporting vulnerable prisoners and passing on concerns; dealing with self-harm in line with prevention strategies.
• Completing reports and behaviour entries, and receiving applications and complaints.
• Searching and carrying out fabric checks, and acting as first on scene for incidents.

In shortDay-one rights apply now; ordinary unfair dismissal protection is intended to arrive after six months from 1 January 2027, but how it applies to your terms is a matter for HR, your union or an adviser.

Probation periods are not a legal concept in themselves. Acas says there is no legal requirement for probation periods and they can be any length, and that 'day one' employment rights apply during them. Employees can resign during probation with the minimum statutory notice or the notice in their contract.

• Minimum wage and paid holiday.
• Protection from discrimination.
• Whistleblowing protection.
• Trade union membership rights.

In shortPassing probation unlocks Band 4 and specialist routes; how it interacts with Band 3 pay points is not published.

• Band 3 to 5 officers with under 3 years' service30.2%At 30 June 2026
• Largest leaver group0 to 1 years' servicePay Review Body, year to September 2025
• 2026/27 progression1 pay pointBands 3 and 5, in post on 31 March 2026 and not on formal poor performance procedures

Passing probation unlocks progression. HMPPS's career page says that after completing the probationary period at Band 3, officers gain access to varied placements, including specialist wings, and can apply for Band 4 as a supervising officer or prison officer specialist.

Specialisms include suicide prevention, control and restraint, first aid, hostage negotiation or drug testing; a custodial manager accreditation allows a move from Band 3 directly to Band 5. Our guides to the supervising officer role and promotion explain the steps, and the free promotion calculator models the pay.

In shortBecause so little is published, ask for the answers in writing and keep the replies.

Keep the replies. If anything changes later, a dated email is much more useful than a recollection. If you are still applying, use the free recruitment timeline planner to see where probation would fall, and the Candidate Bundle for the preparation tools.