Graduated BSc (Hons) Psychology 2014 and MSc Applied Criminology and Forensic Psychology 2017.
I loved the Forensic Psychology modules and the Counselling and Abnormal Psychology modules during the undergraduate course. I was interested in creativity and did my dissertation on malevolent creativity and abnormal personality traits.
During the Masters I volunteered at HMP Addiewell at the visitor’s centre with a charity called Families Outside (now Cyrenians) and this made me interested in the effect of imprisonment on families. I then interviewed family members who have a relative in prison and support workers and did my thesis on the effect of family relationships on desistance from crime in prisoners. After graduating I applied to become a prison officer at HMP Addiewell and I’ve been working on a residential wing ever since! I work with lifers and long-term prisoners who are in for a range of offences from drug dealing, armed robbery, serious assault and murder. It’s a very stressful job at times but I love the range of people you get to meet and it isn’t something I thought I’d be doing so it has proven to me I can do something out of my comfort zone! After covid-19 I will be moving to the Integrated Case Management team to work with offenders 1:1 on what help they need whilst in prison to progress through their sentence. I am looking forward to this but have to get through covid safely first.
