Unlocked

Unlocked Graduates is a unique two-year Leadership Development Programme that puts brilliant graduates at the heart of prison reform. This award-winning Leadership Development Programme recruits outstanding graduates and career changers to become exceptional leaders. The skills and experience you gain leading reform on the front-line will make you stand out from the crowd.

Nearly half of all adult prisoners reoffend within one year of leaving prison, creating more victims, untold damage, and a cost of over £18 billion. The problems facing prisons are some of the most complex in society. That is the challenge at the heart of the Unlocked Graduates two-year Leadership Development Programme.

Who we look for

Unlocked looks for ambitious graduates who are passionate about shaping the system for the better and provides the platform to trial and assess solutions within prisons. In their second year, graduates have the opportunity to write and present a policy paper to the Government.

Combining academic study with real-world experience, no two days are the same for our graduate prison officers. You’ll become an advocate, negotiator, diplomat, and leader. It calls for a level head, confidence, and problem-solving skills – all of which our graduates develop with us.

Benefits and progression

As a Times Top 100 employer, we offer a range of benefits. There’s a fully funded Master’s degree, a highly competitive salary, specialised mentoring and work placement opportunities with key employers. On this award-winning graduate scheme, you have every opportunity to develop highly sought-after skills.

Ongoing networking and development opportunities will be available to you throughout and following our two-year programme. Many graduates choose to stay within the justice system after they have finish the programme or go on to make a difference in a variety of prestigious careers such as consulting or in the third sector, but no matter where their career takes them, Unlocked continues to support this growing network of change-makers. With alumni attending international conferences in Lisbon and Madrid, sharing best practice with prisons in the US and Norway and winning awards such as the Prime Ministers award.

Learn more about how graduates on the Unlocked Leadership Development Programme receive the opportunity to have it all.

This is your chance to join the graduate Leadership Development Programme that saw participants launch award-winning innovation acceleration projects and make real changes to prisoners lives through phenomenal rehabilitative work.

This is two years to become a leader. One opportunity to change society. Is it for you?