A prison governor and one of the first female officers to work in a Kent prison has lifted the lid on a life spent working behind bars.

Dawn Mauldon was initially recruited at HMP Swaleside as one of just two female officers when she joined in the 1980s.

Now a governor she is stepping down and retiring after 35 years service – but not before sharing an insight or two into what she labels of the toughest but rewarding professions.

“Females initially couldn’t work in male prisons, but very quickly that changed about a year later,” she explained.

“Now in my current prison a quarter of the officers are women, with more joining as we speak.

“I think there are more opportunities for us and awareness.

“It’s a really interesting role – never one day the same as the other.”

Dawn, who was born and raised on the Isle of Sheppey, decided she wanted to become a police officer when she was 15.

After not being able to pass the assessment process, she felt the prison service was the next best thing.

The 58-year-old first started out at Cookham Wood, Rochester, which was initially a women's prison in 1987.

At 21, she became one of the first female officers at HMP Swaleside when it opened.

"It wasn’t that daunting actually," she said. "The training was good and I found men are genuinely more respectful towards women anyway.

"I never really found it a problem.

"Becoming a prison officer, I realised there is nothing more rewarding to understand somebody’s personal circumstance and what brought them to prison for the first time.

"I very quickly recognised that people came from all different backgrounds and that they weren’t as lucky as I was."

She added: "I had only three GCSEs when I joined and I was still able to progress my career by learning on the job and continuing to develop myself at every opportunity."

Since then Dawn has worked at nine prisons – including Swaleside, Elmley, Belmarsh and Dover – where she has gradually risen in rank.

For the last year she has been governor at HMP Maidstone, where she has lead and managed a team of prison officers.

Her role ensures inmates are cared for and that they get the help to prepare for life outside.

"We have a lot of partner organisations that come in and support prisons nowadays," she said. "We didn’t have that back in the early 1990s.

"For example, in Maidstone there's a media group where inmates can learn how to create videos and podcasts.

"Even understanding how to use a computer is quite a challenge for somebody who has been in prison for a long time.

"We also have a choir, with a company that teaches and encourages the men to sing."

Reflecting on the prison service over the past 35 years, Dawn added: "I think there’s a real emphasis on supporting new starters.

"We now have colleague mentors and a clear progression route.

"When I first started it wasn’t that easy to understand how I could gain a promotion and get on the next step of the ladder."

If you are interested in becoming a prison officer, click here to find out more.

In her retirement, Dawn is looking forward to spending more time with her husband Andy, and plans to go travelling across the country.

She added: "When you have been in one place for such a long time, it will be a challenge not to work full-time in the future.

"I’m really proud of going from an officer to a governor – I did that with a couple of qualifications and no degree.

"I just want people to know the world is your oyster."