Queensland Community Corrections Officers awarded for excellence
- Officers recognised nationally for their commitment to safer communities
- Awards given to projects supporting and advocating for victims of domestic and family violence
Two Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) Officers have been recognised for their outstanding service at the national Probation & Community Corrections Officers Association (PACCOA) Awards in Darwin.
Principal Project Officer, CCSO Project Delivery Command Karen Bailey won the Life Member Award for her work as PACCOA Queensland Delegate and Treasurer as well as her 24-year career with QCS where she is currently working on the redesign and delivery of Alcohol and Other Drug Services project.
Toowoomba Community Corrections Senior Case Manager, Sam Stephens, won the Tony Hill Award for his outstanding work in supervising offenders in the community and particularly his advocacy and training in Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) and trauma-informed practices.
Assistant Commissioner Community Corrections and Specialist Operations Samantha Newman said the awards showed an outstanding commitment to breaking the cycle of reoffending across Queensland.
“It was wonderful to see the well-deserved recognition for the often-unseen work of our officers who have dedicated their careers to supporting behaviour change to reduce reoffending and make our communities safer,” Assistant Commissioner Newman said.
“There were also great presentations at the event from Southern Region Supervisor, Leni Garske who presented on the Toowoomba Cultural Reporting Room and Soft Referral Program and Practice Leader, Rebecca Hewson who spoke on Critical Responsivity: Neurodivergence and Correctional Service Delivery.
“The conference overall was an empowering celebration of the people and programs that shape Australia’s criminal justice system, and we look forward to future learnings and collaborations that help deliver safer communities for all Queenslanders,” Assistant Commissioner Newman said.
Karen Bailey said it was a great honour to be recognised, especially as she was approaching retirement.
“We have a lot of young people coming through the ranks to work in community safety and I want to give them the opportunities and career path that I have had. I am still passionate about Community Corrections, and I am shifting to more of a mentoring role for the younger members,” she said.
Karen’s involvement in PACCOA includes organising the last two conferences, running the Kerry Thomas Scholarship to allow for further education opportunities PACCOA members and leading the growth of on-demand training for members. She has worked for QCS Community Corrections since 2001 through a range of roles.
Senior Case Manager, Toowoomba Community Corrections Sam Stephens said he was surprised by his win and the entire conference was an incredible experience.
“I am passionate about helping people affected by domestic and family violence and making our communities safer for everyone,” he said.
“I’m thrilled to be recognised for the work I’m doing with supervised offenders and helping to upskill my colleagues with the latest in learnings on trauma-informed practices.”
Community Corrections plays a vital role across the state in managing about 19,000 offenders in the community to drive behaviour change and rehabilitation to deliver safer communities, less crime and fewer victims.
ENDS