Prison Instructors need to meet all the qualifications criteria of joining as a prison officer. You must be a British, EU or Commonwealth citizen with no restrictions on your stay in UK. You should be physically fit and have good eyesight. You must be able to declare any convictions. Minimum age is 18 years. You cannot have any affiliations to organisations that can be considered racist. You will also need teaching qualifications. Your qualification in the vocational skill (NVQ) is also essential. You cannot also be a bankrupt to be able to get selection as a prison instructor. You can also gain additional qualifications (like NVQs) after joining as a Prison Instructor.

If your job involves working with persons aged below 18, you need Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance. Once you are in the job, you can get additional qualifications in the form of NVQ in Training and Development or higher educational qualifications.