Katie Pedder
Employer: HM Prison Service
Qualifications: BA history, Cambridge University
My first position
My friends were all going into intellectually stimulating (but seemingly mundane) City jobs, which didn’t interest me. I wanted to do something different that would allow me to meet a cross section of people and work in a challenging new environment. My first job was as a landing officer at HMP Highdown in Surrey. I worked alongside a team of officers looking after 200 prisoners. My role was to facilitate the routine on the wing, unlocking prisoners for work, education, association time and meals, and helping prisoners deal with any issues. There was also a control and supervisory element to the work, ensuring that no bullying or drug abuse took place.
Moving on
My next role was as a unit manager for the young offenders unit at HMP Holloway. At 23 I was responsible for 40 female young offenders ranging in age from 15 to 20. I managed a staff group of twelve officers, two managers, a psychologist, a teacher and a health adviser, and together, we cared for the girls and tried to get them to address some of the factors that had brought them into prison in the first place. Many had mental health issues and self harm was a huge problem.
I am now on the senior management team at HMP Wormwood Scrubs and am ultimately responsible for about 100 staff. My job is now far more strategic and focused on the management of staff and policies. However, I am on the rota to take operational control of the prison, which gets me away from my desk and forces me to think on my feet.
Perseverance is key
I have met and worked with some incredibly talented and motivated people who are genuinely committed to prisoner welfare. Everything we do is centred on prisoner rehabilitation so you have to believe that people can change and your actions can make a difference. There are difficulties – dealing with the aftermath of a prisoner suicide is extremely traumatic and working in a big government organisation can be frustrating, but if you persevere anything is possible.
