The Department of Justice marked National Corrections Day last week (21 January) by paying tribute to the women and men who strive to react to reoffending, whether on the frontline, in the community, or behind the scenes.
Reporting on the Day, the Department said Corrective Services employed almost 5,000 staff who managed and cared for around 6,300 adults in custody, 5,800 adults in the community, 115 young people in detention and 1,240 young people in the community.
“Celebrations have included an awards ceremony, with recipients receiving commendations for exceptional performance during 2021,” the Department said.
It said that among the 11 winners were a Community Work Officer from the Kimberley, the uniformed staff from Bunbury Regional Prison and a Youth Custodial Officer from the Banksia Hill Detention Centre.
Director General of the Department, Adam Tomison applauded staff for their professionalism and compassion, highlighting the work being done to improve outcomes for Indigenous people.
“I am proud of the number of staff who have reached out to community organisations to enhance the Department’s relationship with Aboriginal people,” Dr Tomison said.
“We understand more needs to be done to address their over-representation in the justice system,” he said.
“During 2021, there were many significant developments to help vulnerable and disadvantaged people stay out of prison.”
Commissioner for Corrective Services, Mike Reynolds said working with offenders could present many challenges and he praised staff for their resilience and commitment in helping adults and young people with complex needs.
“Every day our staff work incredibly hard in sometimes very difficult circumstances — to manage custodial facilities, the youth detention centre and offenders in the community on court orders,” Commissioner Reynolds said.
