back to article Virtual reality saves wannabe prison officers from actually, you know, having to visit

Virtual reality, the technology that is forever an answer seeking a question, has found a new use in the UK: recruiting prison officers. Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL), a joint venture between the UK Cabinet Office and French IT consultants Sopra Steria, carried away the 2018 prize for best HR and Learning and …

  1. RGE_Master

    I can just imagine the VR of the showers......That's an image you don't want in your head...

    Mooonpig!!!!!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      'I can just imagine the VR of the showers'

      Might have to watch the shower scene where Zuck drops the soap.

      He's had it coming for a while. Buying Oculus pissed off everyone!

  2. Little Mouse

    I hope this didn't cost too much...

    Ask any prison officer where any such money could best spent. I don't think this would feature on many of their wish-lists.

  3. Tikimon
    Facepalm

    Virtual Unreality used to mislead and oversell.... again

    Let's get this straight... New officers quit because working in purgatory is hell. So management shows them a carefully sanitized virtual tour that does not reflect reality. Having seen the layout of the building in advance, the noobs will now be ready to face the violence and danger that would have otherwise made them flee for their lives. BWAHAHA!

    Logically, if their VR tour was in any way representative of the actual environment it would make most applicants QUIT on seeing it! If it soothes them instead, it's definitely outright misrepresentations and lies.

  4. onefang

    Will they put prisoners in virtual prisons next? Super glue a headset to their face, show them a simulation of a small prison cell, chain them to a bed.

  5. MonkeyCee

    Corrections

    I worked tech support for Dept of Corrections (prisons and reform) and knew a few corrections officers in real life.

    How the fuck virtual tour is going to prepare you for what goes on implies that management simply do not have a clue what the actual stresses are in that job.

    It's not the escorting and searching that's the problem. Even the smell and the despair are OK.

    It's the fact that you have to be on your guard the whole time. Not just from physical danger (and there's plenty of that) but that you will be constantly tested to see if you're too nice or weak, and you can be used.

    Oh, and it doesn't stop when you knock off. That rando you met in a bar might turn out to want you to do a favor involving moving things into jail.

    So unless you get VR of some scary fucker reciting your home address and what time your kids get home from school, or finding a picture of your wife getting out of her car on a confiscated cellphone, then I doubt it will prepare you for the "quit in the first week" experience.

    1. Trollslayer

      Re: Corrections

      Many years ago I did some work on a system in the gatehouse of a category A prison - a home office design that needed rework then nursing.

      Odd place, most of the time it was like a workplace then there would be something or nothing and you remembered what the place was there for.

      The gateshouse POs were good to work with but I knew not to go into the prison area.

  6. Flakk
    Joke

    I've Played This Already

    It's called "Doom VFR". It was okay, I guess.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    My Dad has been in every prison in Australia

    As a visitor, and as part of his job, at the time.

    Still, he likes to say that to people.

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