Anyone teaching in the prison service?

[Whyismycatanasshat]

And wants to tell me what it’s like and how it differs to anything else?

I currently teach part time in an alternative provision with vulnerable young people and am happy there but I am
also aware that this year will see our 3rd restructuring in 5 years and I may not be lucky this time round. One of my colleagues left in summer to work in the prison service - her husband is the service “head teacher” and he was my boss at a previous school - we all met up over Christmas and both he and she separately told me that there will be a post coming up that I should apply for.
The problem is I only know the two of them in the service and both can be very good at only telling you the good stuff.

Amy experiences and opinions welcomed.

A hopeful bumping post.

I don't know if you went for the job but I teach FE in prison and as it's the youth estate. It has very specific issues. Is it adults or young people?

Good stuff: good work life balance, not allowed to take marking home, holidays are your own, some prisons have Friday afternoon off for education, small class sizes (max 10), behaviour usually surprisingly good, very easy to deal with occasional incidents of poor behaviour, direct feedback from learners who usually appreciate what you're doing for them, you often feel you're making a real difference
Bad stuff: pay lower than mainstream education, three hour lessons (you can deal with this through creative planning though), curriculum dependent on the whims of governors who may or may not understand the importance of education (and it's stifling when they don't), no internet in classrooms although you do have access to some whitelisted sites, prison education is commissioned on whoever can do it the cheapest so there are constant budgets pressures, learners often get transferred part way through a course after all the effort you put in to teach and they get replaced by someone else so you have to teach a group who've all started at different points, barriers to creativity because of security and outdated attitudes so everything takes a lot more effort.
I love it though. I moved from the primary sector and couldn't imagine doing anything else now.

Thank you for the replies; I’ve not yet applied for the post as the current teacher in post has had to delay their resignation but they are going.

My friend has been nagging at me to express an interest.

Restructuring is definitely happening in my current provision and I think,
d easing between the lines, my department is one that will suffer.

I’d be looking at a role in the young offenders side of prison service education.

I’ve been thinking about it for years but can’t take the pay cut at the moment. Interested to see your thread. Good luck with it. Hope you don’t mind me lurking!