Sarah Nixon is a senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Winchester, UK. Her research interests include desistance and peer support programmes in prison and community settings; the impact of desistance education on the working practices of prison officers; and autoethnographic research on being a gay female prison officer and experiences with suicide/self-harm and trauma. Sarah previously worked as a prison officer for six years at a Category B adult male prison in England and is a member of the Prison Research Network and the Pracademic Network in conjunction with De Montfort University.

Darren Woodward is a lecturer in criminology at Arden University, UK. His research explores desistance from crime, prisons, and the experiences of people involved in criminal justice. Before entering academia, Darren spent 17 years as a prison officer, working at two large prisons in England in various capacities, including landing officer, offender supervisor, and offending behaviour facilitator. Darren is also a member of the Pracademic Network in conjunction with De Montfort University.

1. Introduction 2. Prison Officers and Penal Environments 3. Methodology 4. Theoretical Framework 5. Positive Aspects of Working as a Prison Officer 6. Doubt/Burnout/Frustration in the Role of Prison Officer 7. Searching for Alternatives Away from the Prison Service 8. Departure from the Prison Service 9. New Role/Identity Post-Prison Officer: Returning to 'Civvy Street' 10. Conclusion and Recommendations