Australia’s 25,000 corrections staff are being applauded for their work in keeping the community safe, as part of a global campaign to recognise their dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) and many non-government associations around the globe have come together to thank the world’s prison and parole officers for their commitment and professionalism.
ICPA President and Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Peter Severin said Custodial and Community Corrections staff should be applauded for their ongoing work during this challenging time.
“Even at the best of times, Australia’s corrections staff go to work each day and face often dangerous situations when managing inmates in prisons and offenders in the community,” Mr Severin said.
“Now our officers are adapting to the new challenge of COVID-19 by keeping our prisons and parole offices safe from the disease, while also ensuring the smooth and safe running of our facilities – for this they should be truly applauded.”
The community is being asked to share the #WeApplaud message on their social media channels to show their support for the nation’s 25,000 correctional staff, who combined manage more than 43,000 inmates in custody and 83,000 offenders in the community.
Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Corey Wingard, said It’s been a tough few months for everyone in South Australia. All sectors have been impacted in some way by COVID-19.
“Our corrections staff have done a brilliant job in working through this health crisis and as a result our correctional institutions thus far have remained COVID-19 free,” Minister Wingard said.
“I applaud the dedication, commitment and professionalism of all our corrections staff throughout this unprecedented situation."
Chief Executive of Department for Correctional Services, David Brown, said he hopes the community gets behind this campaign and applauds our hard-working staff, whose good work often goes unseen by the public.
"I'm proud of the way that South Australia's correctional services staff have worked tirelessly to keep the system safe and secure during this crisis, while also preventing COVID-19 from entering our prisons," Mr Brown said.