Give a voice to those who are marginalised in our society

Volunteer monitoring work with the IMB gives you the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives. You will listen to prisoners, talk to staff and see for yourself what is actually happening behind prison walls.

What will I do as a volunteer?

You will make regular visits to prison 

After you have completed your induction period you will make regular visits to the prison you are affiliated to and observe everything that goes on. You will see how staff relate to prisoners, and what processes there are for supporting and rehabilitating individuals. You will have full access to the prison, from the wings to the care and supervision units and the education centres.

You will hear directly from those in prison

You will be able to communicate with any prisoner you wish to, out of sight or hearing from staff, so they can voice any concerns. These can be wide-ranging issues such as safety concerns, healthcare, their ability to access the programmes and activities they need, alleged discrimination, lost property, or access to visits from family or friends.

You will play an active role

You will have unrestricted access to the Northern Ireland Prison you are assigned to and to everything that happens within it, including meetings, activities and records. Your observations and insights will provide a reality check on what is actually happening rather than what is supposed to be happening.

You will monitor what happens to prisoners. You may also be called in to observe serious incidents and record the way in which the situation is handled. Your observations are shared with the prison management team.

Findings and insights can be shared with other oversight bodies, such as the prisons’ inspectorate, as well as the Northern Ireland Prison Service and Department of Justice. They are also included in each prison’s annual report. They bring to light what needs attention as well as any progress that has been made.

Read annual reports and ministerial responses

You will see how prisoners are helped to resettle into the community

You’ll be able to see whether there are programmes and courses that can help prisoners to turn their lives round.  You’ll also see how prisoners are helped to reintegrate back into society and their families, and to access housing and employment.

You will attend training and meetings

In the first nine to twelve months you will undergo new member training which will include shadowing experienced members of your local Board. You will also be allocated a mentor who will support you with your professional development.

Each Board holds a monthly meeting which the governor attends. This meeting usually takes place within working hours and members need to attend at least nine Board meetings a year.

It is important to note that during this induction period the required time commitment is likely to be higher than it is once you are a full member.

Rewards & Benefits

There are many rewards you will gain from volunteering with the IMB, such as being part of a committed team. You will also gain transferable skills which will benefit both you and your employer.

Gain valuable skills and work experience

Analytical skills

You will be using the evidence you gather from a lot of sources, triangulating the information and building up a picture.

Communicating

Your liaison with both staff and prisoners / detained people will develop your stakeholder management skills.

Working as a team

You will be working closely with the rest of your local Board to monitor conditions and treatment of individuals.

Expenses

Although this is an unpaid role, we pay travel and subsistence expenses.

Training and continuous development

During the first nine to twelve months of volunteering you will shadow experienced members of your assigned Board. You will also be allocated a mentor who will support you throughout your professional development.

Managing your time

From completing visits to writing reports, you will learn to balance your volunteering commitments with your other responsibilities.

Employers really value volunteers

Being an IMB volunteer is recognised as a public duty under the Employment Rights Act 1996. Because of this employers are obliged to allow you some time off for IMB work. But there are lots more reasons why employers encourage people to volunteer. Volunteering for the IMB can help boost job satisfaction and evidence that a company is more socially responsible.

Members Experiences

How to Apply

https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/publications/independent-monitoring-board-member-recruitment

Check you are eligible to apply

To volunteer with us, you must:

• be over 18 years old
• commit to making regular visits every month (this is likely to be more during induction period)
• have the right to work in the UK
• live close to your volunteering location, usually within 30 miles or a travel time of 45 minutes (this could be more in certain locations)
• declare any potential conflicts of interest, for example any family connection with the prison, or business involvement in supplying a service to the establishment you are applying to
• declare criminal records (although this won’t necessarily prevent you from becoming a volunteer)

If you have any concerns about a possible conflict, or you have a criminal record, please contact the IMB by email imbrecruitment@justice-ni.gov.uk and we would be happy to discuss this with you.

Your quick guide to the application process

Find a vacancy and apply online

Apply through this website. Recruitment competitions are held in April and October, outside of these times you can register your interest and we will contact you when recruitment opens.

Tour the prison

You will be invited to go on a tour of the facility you have applied to. This is a great chance to see the environment and decide if this is the right role for you.

Attend an interview for the role

If successful we’ll invite you to attend an interview, usually with a panel of 3 people. You will be assessed on key qualities to see whether volunteering for the IMB is a good fit for you.

What qualities do you need?

You do not need any formal qualifications to be volunteer with the IMB.

There are some key qualities we look for in volunteers:

• analysis and decision-making
• commitment and perseverance
• communication
• equality, diversity and inclusion
• integrity and independence
• teamwork and development

You can find out more about these qualities in our application guidance.

What happens next?

We aim to process applications promptly following the closure of the recruitment campaign.

If successful, you will have to go through security clearance. IMB members have full and unrestricted access to their local prison at any time, day or night. For this reason all our members must obtain Counter Terrorism Clearance, security clearance which can take some time to process.

The whole appointments process usually takes around 6 months, although we try to ensure times are kept to a minimum and keep applicants informed throughout the process. We understand that the wait can be frustrating but we hope that you understand why this is necessary.

If you wish to make a complaint about how we handled your application, please follow our complaints process.