Prison Officer Transfers: How to Move Prison in England, Wales

In shortNo single transfer rule is published; HMPPS has made public a set of schemes, and detached duty is not one of them.

There is no single transfer rule published for prison officers in England and Wales. What HMPPS has made public is a set of schemes.

Other mechanisms, such as swapping places with a colleague at another prison or a move on compassionate grounds, may exist in HMPPS policies, but we did not find them published, so we do not describe them.

Ask HR and your POA representative what is available and how it is applied locally.

• The Prison Officer Level Transfer scheme lets Band 3 officers voluntarily apply to move to other establishments in the adult estate.
• Promotion lets you move to a higher band at a different prison by applying for a vacancy.
• The National First Deployment Scheme places new recruits at prisons with acute staffing shortages for their first 23 months.
• The Returners Scheme brings back former officers, in some cases to harder-to-recruit sites.

In shortPOLT is a voluntary Band 3 transfer scheme intended to run annually, but its eligibility, places and selection rules are not published.

HMPPS's 2025 evidence to the Pay Review Body describes it as a pilot of a national-level transfer scheme enabling Band 3 prison officers to voluntarily apply for transfers to other establishments across the adult estate, designed 'to support personal development and respond to changes in personal circumstances, without requiring reciprocal exchanges or alignment with staffing priorities'.

'Without requiring reciprocal exchanges' suggests you do not need a colleague to swap with you, but 'not aligned with staffing priorities' also hints that a receiving prison's needs may not decide the outcome. We do not know.

• How many places there are.
• Who counts as eligible (for example whether you must have passed probation or have a minimum service).
• How applications are ranked, and whether a transfer is guaranteed.
• What happens to your pay point.
• None of these is published in the documents we could read; the questions section at the end of this guide lists what to ask HR.

In shortLocation zone and market supplements attach to the prison, so a move can add or remove thousands of pounds, while pay point carry-over and relocation support are unverified.

• National to Outer London+£3,912 to +£4,118A year, pay point 1 and 3, before the higher cost of living
• National to Inner London+£5,948 to +£6,261A year, pay point 1 and 3
• Leaving a £3,500 supplement prisonAbout £291.67 a monthGross, if the new prison has no supplement

Pay for Bands 3 to 5 depends on where the prison is. The pay tables have three location zones, National, Outer London and Inner London, and HMPPS lists market supplements at a small number of prisons. These attach to the establishment, so moving changes them.

HMPPS pays £1,500, £2,000, £3,000 or £3,500 a year, in 12 monthly instalments, non-pensionable, to Band 3 officers on Fair and Sustainable terms at prisons with acute recruitment and retention challenges, and says prisons that currently qualify keep that status until at least March 2027.

• A move from a £3,500 prison such as Bullingdon, Elmley, Swaleside or Woodhill to a prison with no supplement would remove about £291.67 a month gross.
• The reverse move adds it, but the supplement can be withdrawn from a site and has been eroding at some sites, so it is a risky basis for a house move.
• Our pay by region guide, London pay guide and market supplements guide give the full tables.

In shortRoster, staffing, commute and culture are local, harder to compare than pay and often matter more.

Roster and culture

A prison's roster cycle, number of nights and weekends, notice of changes and approach to flexible working are all local, as our shift patterns guide explains, and the Pay Review Body says practice on flexible working varies from prison to prison. A new prison may also have a different regime, population and level of staffing, and the staffing shortfalls shown on our prison pages are a clue to how stretched it is.

Commute

Ordinary commuting is not tax-deductible, so a longer journey comes out of take-home pay and out of your day. Use the commute cost calculator to compare the money and the hours, including your shift start times.

Home life

If you move house, your mortgage, school catchments and childcare change too; our mortgage calculator and childcare guide help.

Leave and TOIL

Held by HMPPS rather than by the prison, so your entitlement should follow you as the same employer, but booking rules, public holiday arrangements and how TOIL is approved are local. Ask the receiving prison's resource management team how your balances transfer and how the first year of requests works. Our leave and time off guide covers the types of time off.

In shortPromotion is the practical route for many officers, but check hours, on-call and staffing at the hiring prison before you accept.

• Band 4 spot rate£34,44037 hours base; £41,328 including UWH, National
• Band 5 startFrom £37,417Base, three pay points
• Required Hours Addition20%Allowance for Bands 6 to 11 per HMPPS, covering on-call and unpredictable hours

Band 4 Supervising and Specialist Officer and Band 5 Custodial Manager posts are advertised as vacancies at specific establishments, and a successful application takes you to that prison. Our promotion guide, pay progression guide and take-home pay by band guide explain what each step pays and requires.

Operational managers told the Pay Review Body their hours were well beyond 37 a week. A promotion that also moves you to a better-staffed prison can improve your working life; one that moves you into a short-staffed prison on longer hours may not.

In shortHMPPS uses moves to fix staffing at specific prisons: First Deployment for new recruits and a returners scheme for former officers, whose current rules we could not verify.

• Thinking of joining and moving: our recruitment guide, jobs by region guide and recruitment timeline planner cover where vacancies are and how long the process takes.
• Leaving and may return: see the leaving the service guide and the pension transfers guide.

In shortBecause so much is unpublished, put specific questions to HR, resource management and your POA representative, and keep written answers.

Your best tool is a set of specific questions put to the people who know: your line manager, HR, the resource management team at both prisons and your POA representative. Write down the answers and keep copies. Before you accept anything, check the arithmetic with the salary calculator and the pay guides.

1. Ask HR whether a Prison Officer Level Transfer window is open or planned, and for the eligibility rules and selection process in writing.
2. Ask whether your pay point carries across, and whether you lose or gain a market supplement or location zone pay.
3. Ask the receiving prison for a sample roster cycle, nights and weekends, notice of changes and flexible working practice.
4. Ask what happens to your leave, TOIL and any approved flexible working arrangement when you move.
5. Ask whether any relocation, travel or excess fares support exists for officers (not only governors).
6. Compare the commute at your real start times with the commute calculator.
7. Model the pay changes, including any supplement ending in March 2027 or later, with the salary calculator and job offer comparator.
8. Talk to your POA representative about the process and your rights, and keep your line manager informed.

In shortThese schemes are for England and Wales (HMPPS); Scotland, Northern Ireland and private prisons mean a new application and a change of employer.

• The schemes above are for England and Wales (HMPPS).