New year, new job? January is the time when many consider a career change.

But why did an actor, a sales woman and an action man all end up behind bars working in prisons on Sheppey?

Kieron Riddell, 31, has worked at HMP Swaleside, a Category B jail at Eastchurch, for almost five years.

But before that, he was a professional actor for 13 years touring the country specialising in interactive children’s theatre.

He said: "I never thought I’d be swapping stage wings for a career on the prison wings. I thought it was a ridiculous idea when a friend suggested it.

"Everything I knew about the prison service was from the TV and so I thought all prison officers were macho and spent all day breaking up fights. That couldn’t be further from the truth. As soon as I stepped into the building I realised this job is all about dealing with people. If you’re good at that, you can really do well here."

He began on the landings looking after men serving life sentences and then switched to helping vulnerable prisoners with complex needs.

He said: "My job was to try to understand how we could support them to get their lives back on track. I now work really closely with staff and inmates on organising training and events to support our prisoners.

"Most recently, we had Shaun Wallace from The Chase visit to give a motivational speech. It was so inspiring to see 40 men, many whom had really complex lives, listening intently to everything he had to say. He is passionate that people should have a second chance and I am, too."

Kieron, who has toddler twins, added: "People often think my move from theatre to prison was quite unusual but they require similar skills. You need to be confident, open and able to communicate with people.

"I’m passionate about both but I don’t get quite as much applause now!"

He admitted he still does theatre in his spare time as a "creative outlet.”

Joanne Rose, 42, works at HMP Elmley and had a 20-year career in sales before joining the prison service in 2019.

She said: "I grew up locally but never considered joining the prison service. I just didn’t think it would be for me.

"However, I was no longer enjoying working in my previous job. It was long hours, a long commute and it didn’t feel that rewarding. A friend worked at HMP Elmley and told me she thought I’d be good at it, so I decided to apply. I call it my mid-life crisis!

"I spent two years on the wings. I have to be honest, it was tough. You’re dealing with challenging situations and complex individuals and sometimes you are faced with scary scenarios.

"But there are strict protocols in place and you always know there are staff around to help if you need them.

"Now I work in a non-operational role where I’m responsible for supporting our prisoners to get jobs when they leave. I help them with their CVs and work closely with employers across the region, particularly in the construction, railway and hospitality sectors. There are lots of challenges in ensuring prisoners have access to housing and banking but it feels so good when you help someone get a job.

"We know that employment is crucial in helping to reduce future reoffending."

She added: "Even though working in a prison is very different to my previous career, the attribute that makes me good at both is my ability to communicate and build strong relationships with people.

"These men have made mistakes but they’re also being punished for that by having all their freedoms removed. If you can talk to them how you would want to be spoken to, you can build their trust and ultimately ensure they have a more positive time in prison which might mean less chance of them returning.

"It’s so rewarding. I’m so glad I made the career change when I did!”

Action man Allan Patterson, 35, has been in the prison service for five years and has had four promotions in that time. He is now a governor at HMP Elmley.

Before joining the service he worked in immigration detention and in outdoor education as a mountain leader which involved teaching rock climbing, canoeing, biking and abseiling.

He said: "I’m so glad I had some life experience before I joined the prison service. It meant when I joined, it was less of a shock. I had worked with a variety of people, often in high pressure environments like off the side of a cliff, and was confident in my own abilities.

“I joined on the wings and very quickly became used to the regime and ensuring I got prisoners to the right place at the right time. Each day they need to go to education, work, the gym and also get their right medication.

"There’s quite a lot to coordinate. I had lots of really experienced staff around me and learnt from them. The key thing I noticed was that you need to be human and have a personality with the prisoners. Behind each cell door is an individual, many whom have led challenging and complex lives.

"If you build strong relationships with them, the whole prison runs more effectively, which is nicer for the prisoners and staff."

He added: "I’m really proud of my promotions. Now I’m leading on a strategy to try to ensure we support and engage the younger men in our prison more effectively. They make up around 25% of our cohort but they can be some of the most challenging.

"We are looking at initiatives like running the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme and setting up a bee hive and a vegetable patch so the men can learn skills. I also want specific classes in the gym for them so they have the chance to release their energy in a positive way. I’m really excited about the impact we can have. Ultimately, our aim is to ensure prisoners leave us and don’t re-offend. That’s better for them and society.

Find out more about working in prisons here.

Prison officer roles start at £30,880 for a 39-hour week and come with a Civil Service pension.