Staff at the Wellington Correctional Centre will be acknowledged for their dedication to the service as Australia celebrates the inaugural National Corrections Day on Friday.
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The initiative was established by Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) last year to acknowledge staff and provide the community with a better understanding of the challenging and often dangerous work officers do to keep prisons and communities safe and secure.
Honorary Ambassador Governor Craig Smith of the Wellington Correctional Centre is among those to be applauded for the tremendous job staff do protecting the community, rehabilitating inmates and working to reduce reoffending.
Governor Smith, a greenkeeper by trade, joined the department as an overseer in 1999 where he taught inmates general ground maintenance of the centre.
He has since worked up through the ranks, having worked in six correctional centres before landing at Wellington 10 years ago as a First Class Correctional Officer. He was appointed Governor for the Wellington Correctional Centre three months ago and oversees day-to-day operations of the entire centre, 478 inmates and 223 staff members. He also covers the Brewarrina Correctional Centre.
“Originally when I saw the ad for the job, I wanted the job security – 20 years ago a government job was considered a job for life, so for me it was knowing working for the government is a secure job where you’re well looked after.”
“I started mowing the lawns with the inmates, and if you’d have asked me 10 years ago if I’d see myself as Governor, definitely not, but I took opportunities that came my way.
“The department is so diverse you get a lot of opportunities and are so well-skilled that if you’re willing to have a go, the opportunities are there.”
Smith spoke highly of the career which he described as both challenging and rewarding.
“We deal with what society hopes they can put behind bars and not have to know about, but our aim is to rehabilitate inmates so when they get out they can integrate back into society and be a better person out of it,” he said.
“I do genuinely get satisfaction out of the job – it’s nice that I can bump into a former inmate in Dubbo and they introduce me to their wife and children.”
Smith said he takes great pride in the staff at Wellington's centre who contribute to what he believes to be the best jail in the state.
He is pleased to see the introduction of National Corrections Day as ongoing recognition for staff across the country who he feels often don’t get the recognition they deserve.
“I don’t think Correctional Officers get recognised very well, the public doesn’t know too much about it, so I think it’s good this initiative was set up to think about us for one day,” Smith said.
“A lot of officers get hurt on the job, spat on – it can be a stressful job, you see some stuff in here no one else would like to know about, but we deal with it.”
CSNSW Commissioner, Peter Severin, said the event gained momentum and has since been adopted by other states and territories, and even New Zealand, who will all be marking the day on January 19.
“These women and men are the unsung heroes of our communities, working tirelessly to rehabilitate offenders and keep us safe,” Mr Severin said.
“It can be a difficult job and a dangerous job at times, and our officers show bravery, dedication and commitment that should be formally commended.
“The event deserves to be as big as it has now become – a national day that pays homage to the frontline staff who make an important contribution to keeping our communities safe.”