Prison Officer Role Play Scenarios: Examples and Tips (UK)

The role play is the part of the prison officer Online Assessment Centre (OAC) that makes most candidates nervous. You are on camera, talking to a stranger who is playing a prisoner, with ten minutes to sort something out. The good news is that it is not a test of prison rules. It is a test of how you treat people and how you handle a conversation. This guide explains the format, gives you a structure to follow and works through eight example scenarios.

How the role play works

According to the OAC preparation guidance:

• The role play lasts 10 minutes.
• A role actor plays a prisoner, and you take on the role of a prison officer.
• You are assessed on all four HMPPS behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service, Making Effective Decisions and Caring.

The HMPPS jobs blog describes the situation as one "based on real challenges you could face as a prison officer". The role play is one of three assessments at the OAC, which takes about two and a half hours in total. You do it from home on a laptop with a webcam.

You do not need to know prison procedures. Assessors want to see how you behave, not whether you can quote a rule. If you do not know whether something is allowed, it is fine to say you will find out and come back to them. In fact, that often scores better than guessing.

Exact briefing arrangements, such as how long you get to read your brief, can vary, so check your invitation.

What the four behaviours look like in a role play

• Communicating and Influencing: introduce yourself, use the prisoner's name, listen without interrupting, ask open questions, summarise what you heard, and explain things plainly. Stay calm if voices rise.
• Managing a Quality Service: be clear about what you will do next and when. Mention recording it or passing it to the right person. Do not make promises you cannot keep.
• Making Effective Decisions: gather the facts before you decide, consider the options and explain the reason for your decision.
• Caring: notice how the person is feeling, show empathy, treat them with respect and check on their wellbeing, especially if they seem low.

A structure you can use every time

Ten minutes goes quickly. A simple shape stops you from either rushing to a solution or running out of time.

1. Open (30 seconds). Greet them, give your name and role, and ask what's going on: "Hi, I'm Officer Patel. You look upset. What's happened?"
2. Listen (2–3 minutes). Let them talk. Nod, acknowledge feelings, and do not argue yet.
3. Clarify (1–2 minutes). Ask questions to get the facts: when, who, what has already been tried.
4. Summarise. "So you missed your visit because the movement was late, and nobody told you why. Is that right?"
5. Explain limits honestly. Say what you can and can't do, and why.
6. Explore options. Offer realistic next steps and, where you can, involve them in choosing.
7. Agree next steps. Who will do what, and by when.
8. Close. Check they are okay, tell them when you will come back, and thank them.

If the actor escalates by raising their voice, refusing or making demands, go back to steps 2 and 4. Calm acknowledgement usually brings the temperature down.

Eight example scenarios

These are written for this site. They are the kind of everyday wing situations a role play might draw on, not real OAC material.

1. The missed visit

A prisoner's family visit did not happen. He believes staff forgot to call him and he is furious.

What good looks like: you acknowledge how important the visit was to him, find out what he knows, and avoid blaming colleagues. You commit to finding out what happened and to helping him rebook, and you give a realistic timescale.

2. Canteen not delivered

A prisoner says her canteen order is missing items she paid for and she wants them "now".

What good looks like: you listen, check the details, explain that you can't hand over items on the spot, and say how the discrepancy will be raised and followed up. Firm, calm and fair.

3. Refusing to go back to his cell

At the end of association, a prisoner refuses to lock up because he says his cellmate has been threatening him.

What good looks like: you treat the safety concern seriously and get the details in private. You explain that you need him to be safe and that you will raise his concern straight away. You keep the conversation calm and avoid ultimatums.

4. Family emergency

A prisoner has heard that a close relative has been taken to hospital. He wants to phone home immediately, but it is outside his phone time.

What good looks like: empathy first. Then you find out what he knows, explain what you can do, such as asking a supervisor or chaplaincy about options, and agree when you will come back.

5. Bullying disclosure

A quiet prisoner tells you another prisoner is taking his canteen. He begs you not to say anything.

What good looks like: you thank him for telling you, are honest that you can't keep it secret because his safety matters, and explain that it will be handled carefully. You reassure him and check whether he feels safe right now.

6. A request you can't grant

A prisoner wants to swap to a single cell because his cellmate snores.

What good looks like: you take the issue seriously without promising a move. You explain who decides and what the process is, and you look for small practical help in the meantime.

7. Low mood

A prisoner says, flatly, that there's "no point to anything any more" and that nobody would notice if he wasn't here.

What good looks like: stay with him, speak gently, and ask directly and kindly how he is feeling and whether he is thinking of harming himself. Do not leave him alone. Tell him you are going to get support for him now. In prisons, concerns like this are shared straight away with colleagues and healthcare and handled through the prison's ACCT process for people at risk. You don't need to know that process in detail for the role play. What counts is that you take it seriously, show care and get help.

8. Complaint about another officer

A prisoner says an officer on the previous shift spoke to him in a degrading way and he wants to make a complaint.

What good looks like: you listen without defending or criticising your colleague, take note of the facts, and explain how he can make a formal complaint. You also say you will pass the concern on. Fair, neutral and professional.

Common mistakes

• Solving too fast. Jumping to "put in an application" in the first minute misses the listening.
• Making promises. "I'll get you a phone call right now" when you can't guarantee it.
• Arguing back. Matching the actor's tone or getting defensive.
• Quoting rules you're not sure of. It's better to say you'll check.
• Forgetting welfare. Not asking how the person is, especially in emotional scenarios.
• No close. Running out of time without agreeing next steps.

Youth Justice Worker candidates

If you are applying to be a Youth Justice Worker, your OAC includes two role plays. The extra 10-minute role play involves "a young person in custody" and assesses the same four behaviours. Adjust your language for a teenager: be simple, patient and non-judgemental, and pay close attention to safeguarding.

How to practise

• Rehearse the eight-step structure aloud with a friend playing the prisoner. Give them a brief and ask them to escalate partway through.
• Record yourself on your laptop camera to check your tone, eye contact and pace.
• Practise saying "I don't know, but I'll find out and come back to you by…" until it feels natural.

The free demo on our practice page includes a full role-play brief with actor notes and a model approach. The Complete pack has fifteen.

If anything in this guide affects you personally, you can talk to Samaritans for free, any time, on 116 123.

prisonofficertest.co.uk is an independent practice site. It is not affiliated with HMPPS, the Ministry of Justice, the Scottish Prison Service, the Northern Ireland Prison Service or any prison operator. Always check your own invitation and the recruiter's current guidance.