Stressed prison officer felt like an 'empty shell'
GoogleA former prison officer says she "begged for help" to deal with the stresses of the job that left her feeling like an "empty shell".
Data obtained by the BBC revealed the number of staff taking absence because they were struggling with their mental health in England's prisons had risen by 38% over the last five years.
The investigation also found prison officers at HMP Deerbolt in Barnard Castle, County Durham, needing to take sick leave had tripled over the same period.
Dagna Tomaszewska-Cook, who left the role in October, said she had to take time off after her pleas for support were "ignored". The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said officers had access to mental health support.
"I was finding it difficult to cope after one of the lads attempted suicide," Ms Tomaszewska-Cook said.
"I've dealt with suicide in prisons plenty of times in the six years I've been at the prison, but I think because I spent almost an hour talking him out of it - it really affected me."
More than 1,570 working days were lost at HMP Deerbolt in 2024 due to mental health leave.
However, this was a 14% reduction since 2019.
An inspection by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMPPS) found levels of self-harm at Deerbolt "remained high" with 259 incidents, but there had been a reduction of 30% in recent years.
'Couldn't carry on'
Ms Tomaszewska-Cook and other officers told the BBC there was "no support" when dealing with such distressing cases.
She said she repeatedly reported her struggles to her manager and asked to see a professional mental health specialist.
"I told him I don't want to go off, I just need an appointment - I think I need to speak to someone.
"It took me about two months of constantly nudging him every few days and sending him emails and saying that I need help, asking if he had looked into it, but there was just nothing.
"Then after months of silence when I was asking for help, I went off sick eventually, even though I didn't want to, but I couldn't carry on with no support."
All prison officers have access to mental health support including a 24-hour helpline, according to the MoJ.
A spokesperson said: "We're also investing around £15m to improve their safety, including expanding the use of tasers and rolling out more protective body armour."
The Prison Officer's Association said it had "consistently" called on the service to fund specialised on-site mental health support.
Steve Gillan, the POA General Secretary said: "I'm not naive - I fully understand that it's a risky job.
"But employers are obliged to minimise those risks. The reality is you don't take it for granted that you're a punch bag and that you're going to be exploited to violence, which is getting worse year on year.
"Naturally, it is going to be seriously detrimental to people's mental health."
Ministry of JusticeMs Tomaszewska-Cook was dismissed from the service last month, accused of undue use of force during an altercation with a prisoner.
She is appealing her dismissal.
She said one of the few times she got support was when an inmate threw urine at her.
"A few people sat down with me to check in immediately after, but that was all."
She said her years of service had eroded her confidence.
"We were overworked, consistently short-staffed, dealing with drug overdoses, violent assaults and suicide attempts with very little to no support - we were just expected to cope and deliver an excellent service.
"Five and a half years of service changed me from an upbeat confident woman, who loved her job, to shell of a person I once was.
"It cost me my marriage, affected relationships with my children, and had a huge toll on my mental health in general."
- If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, you can visit the BBC Action Line for information and support.
