The outstanding service of four Corrective Services NSW officers at Long Bay, Goulburn, Leichhardt and Silverwater has been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours List.
The Australian Corrections Medal was awarded to Jean Dally, Rebecca Edwards, Amandeep Singh and Albert Torrens for their distinguished service and leadership.
Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections Anthony Roberts congratulated the four officers for their commitment to making the community safer.
“These officers should be very proud to be the recipients of this prestigious medal and I thank them for their service to NSW,” Mr Roberts said.
“Corrections is a challenging area to work in, and a difficult one, but these officers have shown true leadership, hard work and a strong motivation to make our communities safer and reduce reoffending.”
CSNSW Commissioner Peter Severin said the four officers inspired others.
“Jean, Rebecca, Amandeep and Albert are great representatives of Corrective Services NSW and we are proud to have them working for us,” Mr Severin said.
“They demonstrate all the best traits of correctional officers and provide a good role model to other staff. They are also doing their best to improve practices at the department and the rehabilitation prospects of offenders.”
The Australian Corrections Medal for distinguished service and leadership was introduced in 2018 and is awarded in the Australia Day and Queen’s Birthday Honours lists. The four recipients will be invested with their medals at NSW Government House in May.
Regional Support Manager Jean Dally, Offender Services and Programs, Goulburn
Ms Dally joined Corrective Services NSW in 2004 and has been pivotal in providing services and programs in custody and the community, which support behavioural change in offenders.
She has been vital to developing programs for young offenders, ensuring access to specialist services, particularly for those with medical or mental health issues.
She has also established relationships with local agencies to deliver best practice programs and support services for inmates pre-release.
She was instrumental in the development and implementation of the structured day routine to ensure offenders have daily access to programs, education and industries to reflect their case plans.
Ms Dally’s commitment and dedication to assisting offenders with complex needs involves travelling to 15 correctional centres and 25 Community Corrections offices across the state.
“This medal definitely does make me feel proud, but also humbled and surprised that I’m recognised for the work I do. It’s more than a just a job for me – I enjoy my work so much and every day is exciting, challenging, rewarding and actually enjoyable,” Ms Dally said.
Rebecca Edwards, Acting Manager of Governance and Compliance – Security and Intelligence, Silverwater
Ms Edwards joined CSNSW in 2005 and has worked at Silverwater Women’s and Dawn De Loas correctional centres.
She later joined the Corrections Intelligence Group with her work involving the management of Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG) offenders, who have been identified as a significant risk to the security of NSW prisons. Her efforts have contributed to reducing the risk of incidents at CSNSW locations and the community.
The management of OMCG members in custody and the community requires a unique knowledge, not only of a correctional environment, but also of the highly complex nature of these gangs.
Through her work, she has established and strengthened relationships with law enforcement bodies, which have contributed to a safer community.
Ms Edwards said she was “honoured and humbled” to receive the Australian Corrections Medal.
“None of this would’ve been possible without the commitment, dedication and support of those who worked in this field before me, and for my team members past and present who share the drive and passion to do our bit to disrupt gang activity,” Ms Edwards said.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work alongside people who’ve worked tirelessly to detect and disrupt gang activity, as well as managing the threats from all crime types. I am inspired by those who think outside the box and seek real life solutions in this field.”
Amandeep Singh, First Class Correctional Officer, Long Bay
Mr Singh joined CSNSW in 2014 and currently works at the Metropolitan Special Programs Centre at Long Bay. His job involves managing inmates and working at the reception desk at the internal visits centre.
During his own time he designed a user-friendly computer dashboard application, to assist staff in performing their daily duties.
The dashboard provides direct links to current policy and procedures, and templates and forms, regularly used by custodial staff and business partners.
The dashboard application is now being rolled out to other centres across the state, allowing staff to focus on business-as-usual operations and perform their duties more effectively.
Mr Singh continues to liaise with individual correctional centres to establish programs tailored to their specific needs to improve outcomes for Corrective Services NSW.
Mr Singh said: “I feel honoured. I wasn’t expecting this. I share this award with my team.”
Albert Torrens, Aboriginal Client Service Officer, Leichhardt
Mr Torrens joined CSNSW as an Aboriginal Client Service Officer in 2000 and has been instrumental in developing Community Corrections engagement models with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island offenders and their families.
The Bundjalung man has been a tireless advocate and champion of Community Corrections within the community and shows dedication and commitment to reducing recidivism and improving outcomes for Aboriginal offenders.
He is an acknowledged subject matter expert on engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders, and their families, and his use of culturally appropriate methods is significant.
In 2002 he was involved in the implementation of the ‘Walking Together Program’ aimed at addressing Aboriginal offenders’ criminogenic needs within a culturally appropriate setting.
He also was pivotal in rebuilding relationships with the criminal justice community and the Aboriginal community following the Redfern Riots in 2004.
Mr Torrens said of receiving the medal: “I feel elated. It was a bit of a surprise. I am trying to reduce recidivism. It’s my hope that one day we come close to really driving it down.”
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