Corrections Officers head from Wellington to Waikato
For Immediate Release 6 September 2011
Corrections Officers head from Wellington to Waikato
A group of new
Corrections recruits have graduated from the
Initial
Training College at Rimutaka Prison, this time
destined to keep the
Waikato public safe.
Donning
the new Corrections uniform the 12 new Officers will head as
a
band of blue to North Waikato where they will be
employed at Spring Hill
Corrections Facility.
Corrections Chief Executive Ray Smith says the new
recruits should be
commended for stepping up to do a job
to deal with the country's most
difficult
people.
"Prison is a mystery to most New Zealanders. These
new staff members
have made an admirable decision to take
on a role of leadership inside
the wire.
"Prisoners can
be difficult to manage, and frontline staff
are
responsible for working with them everyday. These
staff have the chance
to make a real difference by making
sure offenders are held to account
for their actions, but
also by being agents of change for them."
One graduate,
Brian Rose, took away the Minister's Excellence
Award
presented by Corrections Minister Judith Collins
herself, for displaying
diligence and special leadership
quality.
Minister Judith Collins says Brian was nominated
for being exceptionally
professional, having a positive
attitude and approaching everything on
the course
willingly and with great eagerness.
"Brian has been a
quiet achiever. He has been exceptionally
professional,
always has a positive attitude and has
approached
everything on course with real
enthusiasm.
"He has worked diligently. He has demonstrated
pride in every facet of
his personal and professional
conduct. During his training he has shown
integrity,
honesty and professionalism - which makes him a worthy
winner
of the Minister's Excellence Award."
The
intensive Initial Training course completed by the new staff
covers
a range of training including the processes and
procedures for
conducting muster checks, locking and
unlocking, incident reporting,
managing at risk prisoners
and the use of active management.
"The staff will soon
put these skills into practice in their roles at
Spring
Hill Corrections Facility," Mr Smith says. "Their training
will
also be expanded with on the job training to support
and guide prisoners
to undertake rehabilitation
programmes, receive an education, gain
skills that will
help them gain work upon release; and use their time
in
prison constructively.
"As this particular group of
graduates are all off to the same
Corrections Facility,
they also have a unique opportunity to carry the
bond and
support for each other developed at College through to
Spring
Hill.
"As a Department our ultimate priority is
keeping the public safe but
looking after each other is
also very
important."
ENDS