Phil Wheatley, Head of the UK National Offender Management Service, Retires

By Fraser Bryans - May 11th, 2010

Phil Wheatley, one of the most influential correctional leaders, replayed a hugely influential role in professionalising our profession and the way we operate and manage our prisons

Phil joined the Her Majesty”s Prison Service as a Prison Officer in 1969. The following year he was promoted to Assistant Governor. In 1986, having gained experience in high security and local prisons, he became Governor of Hull Prison. In 1990 he was one of the first Area Managers to be appointed and managed a group of prisons in the East Midlands for 2 years before becoming responsible for security policy, population management and capacity planning at Headquarters. He joined the Prisons Board in 1995 in a newly created post as Director of Dispersal Prisons (in charge of the 6 highest security prisons). In 1999 he became Deputy Director General responsible for the operational Service. In 2003 he was appointed Director General. On 1 April 2008 he was appointed the Director General of the National Offender Management Service.

We wish Phil well in his retirement though we have little doubt that his involvement with the corrections” world will continue in one form or another.




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