Prison Officer Training and Education: A Scoping Review of the Published Literature

The role of the prison officer is complex and challenging. In order to discharge their duties effectively, prison officers require relevant and comprehensive training and education upon recruitment and throughout their working career. The following paper presents the findings of a scoping review of the published literature as it relates to the training and education of prison officers. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, we stratified this literature into three overarching themes; namely entry-level training and education programs, emerging issues and developments in prison officer training, and specialist health and well-being training programs. Findings are discussed with reference to significant current trends in the literature and potential areas of future research and practice.