Take a Look Inside QCS officer profile

Prue, Manager Offender Development, Southern Queensland Correctional Centre  

Helping people is a value Prue, Manager Offender Development at Southern Queensland Correctional Centre (SQCC), has always held in high regard. It is no surprise that her career has led her down the path of making a difference in people’s lives.

Prue recently joined the team at SQCC after working in community corrections, where she held a variety of roles for over a decade.

She is proud and grateful to be able to apply past knowledge to support offenders in a correctional environment, where her new role focuses on the safety, wellbeing and rehabilitation of female prisoners at SQCC.

“The experience and skills I gained in case management, engagement and support of offenders following release from prison has adequately prepared me for the transition from community corrections to a correctional centre environment,” Prue said.

“I lead a team of diverse officers at SQCC with a common goal of delivering services that enhance the women’s wellbeing while working to meet their cultural and reintegration needs and contributing to the safety of the centre.

“Each QCS officer has a role to play in a woman’s rehabilitation through collaboration and partnership, which contributes to the vision of One QCS.

“My knowledge allows me to contribute to this vision and foster a culture within the centre where a person’s journey of rehabilitation and reintegration starts on day one of their contact with QCS and continues until they exit our service.”

Prue was introduced to community corrections while on student placement at Griffith University.

She was enticed by the dynamic working environment within the district office she worked in, where no two days were the same and she could envisage making a tangible difference in the lives of others.

“The public service offers endless possibilities for the career you want and since joining 13 years ago, I have been fortunate to experience many different roles within Queensland Corrective Services,” Prue said.

Prue started out as a Case Manager and progressed up the ranks through different roles throughout the years, including Senior Case Manager, Senior Case Manager in the High Risk Offender Management Unit (HROMU), core member to the Ipswich High Risk Team (HRT) for domestic and family violence, Senior Advisor Parole Board Secretariat, Community Corrections Supervisor, District Manager and now as Manager Offender Development at SQCC.

“My previous role as Supervisor at Ipswich Community Corrections was invaluable to me in preparing for my new role,’’ she said.

“I was leading an exciting new initiative to improve the delivery of case management for women by incorporating a gender-responsive approach to rehabilitation which addresses the unique needs of our female offenders.

“I am fortunate to be able to continue this work with the women at SQCC with the support of my team, where we all recognise that implementing change in a woman’s life can have a generational impact into the future.

“If you’re looking for a career where no two days are the same, you can communicate with people from all walks of life, have good time management skills and most importantly you want to make a difference, I urge you to consider corrections. The opportunities are diverse and plentiful.”

Prue has lived most of her life in Queensland, with the exception of two years working in England where she was fortunate to work as a Probation Officer for the National Probation Service of England and Wales.

In her spare time, she enjoys watching her sons play rugby and creating wheel-thrown pottery.