Op-Ed: Queensland lights up blue for National Corrections Day
Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner Paul Stewart APM
Friday January 19 is National Corrections Day.
It’s a day to shine a spotlight on the work done across the State by Queensland Corrective Services’ officers on the front line of public safety, and I thank the many communities statewide who mark the occasion by lighting up their landmarks in blue for the occasion.
From the Torres Strait to the Gold Coast, and West to the Northern Territory border, our 7000 officers strive to make Queensland a safer place for all of us, and I personally thank them for their commitment.
Queensland Corrective Services operates 11 high security and six low custody correctional centres from Far North Queensland to the Gold Coast hinterland and west to Gatton.
We also have 35 Community Corrections district offices and more than 140 reporting locations across the State.
Together, our officers, address criminal behaviour and boost community safety.
Whether they are custodial correctional officers, community corrections specialists, trade and educational instructors, dog squad officers, psychologists, counsellors, cultural liaison officers, or administrative officers, they all share the common mission of reducing crime through the effective rehabilitation of offenders.
And while they are focusing on community safety, it is only right that QCS is focusing on their wellbeing.
This is why Corrections Commissioners Australia-wide decided that the theme National Corrections Day this year should be Wellbeing.
We know our officers love their work.
We also know that at times their work exposes them to incidents that are confronting and sometimes even dangerous while managing some of the state’s most complex and challenging people.
We thank them for their commitment to a hard job that many people simply could not do. In return, we are committed to supporting and protecting them to the best of our ability.
We do this by ensuring our officers are the best trained and equipped in Australia, that they are supported through strong legislation and have access to the best available employee support services specifically designed to respond to the unique challenges faced by those at the front line of public safety and those who support our frontline officers.
Our officers are the lifeblood of our agency. We value their commitment and dedication to keeping Queensland communities safe.
This National Corrections Day, I hope you take a moment to recognise the contribution that corrective services officers make to community safety in Queensland and across the country.