It ruins you. You dont. Youre not a person any more, you just exist. Three years ago, the prison was privatised. French Company Sodexo won the 15 year contract, promising the government it could save £130 million. When the initial shock of the privatisation came out, the staff were shocked that it had happened but then we thought well maybe it could be a good thing we might see a big change. You train as part of a team. Jim reid was a dog handler and Prison Officer with more than 20 years experience. His optimism didnt last long. They got rid of 96 uniform staff over 200 in total. I myself was part of a dog team erm, and we were told, youre gone. Since 2011, around half a billion pounds has been taken from the Prison Budget in england and wales. As the Prisoner Population was rising, more than 6,000 officers were lost. Jim reid took redundancy but colleagues who stayed at northumberland say theyre overwhelmed. Ive seen experienced staff crying in the main street. And theyve said i can