Prison Officers Graduate At Ceremony In Dublin Castle.

The graduation of 123 Prison Officers took place yesterday at the Print Works, Dublin Castle.

The new officers have now completed their Higher Certificate of Arts in Custodial Care (HCCC), developed and delivered jointly by the Irish Prison Service and South East Technological University (SETU).

This graduating class form part of the Irish Prison Service’s latest recruitment drive. They have already been allocated tn prisons throughout the State, including the Operational Support Group and the Prison Service Escort Corp.

This week’s graduation ceremony marks the formal recognition of the new officers’ academic achievement.

Recognising the crucial role played by prison officers in delivering an important public service, President of SETU, Professor Veronica Campbell emphasised the need to provide a high standard of training and education to support them:- “In light of this, the Irish Prison Service and SETU have created a collaborative work-based programme that develops the reflective, theoretical and practical skills of the Recruit Prison Officer. With over 900 Recruit Prison Officers having successfully completed the programme since 2017, including the 123 graduates who were awarded a Higher Certificate of Arts in Custodial Care at Dublin Castle this evening, SETU’s partnership with the Irish Prison Service is a prime example of our connectivity with our region, firmly aligned with our strategic goals in the provision of educational experiences that are student centred and responsive to learner needs.
I extend my sincere congratulations to this year’s graduates on their academic achievements. This milestone is a testament to the hard work you have invested in earning your qualification.”

The Higher Certificate in Custodial Care is a two-year part-time programme designed to develop the professional competencies of Prison Service staff in working with prisoners. The HCCC is intended to facilitate a greater understanding of how officers can confront challenges through the exploration of different subjects including, Resilience, Mental Health, Social Psychology and Human Rights.

After initial training, RPOs are appropriated to a prison, with assignments based on the security and operational needs of each individual prison.