- Six senior staff awarded the Australian Corrections Medal
- Recipients hold leadership roles in metropolitan and regional prisons
- Those honoured have improved outcomes for offenders and the community
Six senior leaders within Western Australia's prison system have been awarded the prestigious Australian Corrections Medal (ACM) in the King's Birthday 2023 Honours List.
With almost 200 years of service between them, the four women and two men have been recognised for their long and distinguished careers.
All have been acknowledged for achieving positive outcomes for men and women in their care, for fellow staff members, and the broader community.
The ACM is awarded for distinguished service by operational members of an adult civilian correctional service.
The ACM recipients are:
Ms Christine Ginbey - is the Deputy Commissioner for Women and Young People. Since beginning her career as a Prison Officer in 1986, Ms Ginbey has risen through the ranks, leading in the development of unique and globally recognised prison design and operations for incarcerated women, focusing on rehabilitation and recognising the needs of women as mothers.
Mr Alan Watkins - is the Assistant Commissioner for Adult Community Corrections. He joined the Department in 1980 as a Probation and Parole Officer and throughout his lengthy career has held operational positions and led operational branches. These positions have seen him deal directly with offenders to support their rehabilitation and program completion in the community.
Ms Kerri Bishop - is the Superintendent at Bunbury Regional Prison. She joined the Department as the result of an innovative female recruitment campaign in 1987, becoming one of the first women Prison Officers in a male prison in WA. As the Superintendent at Bunbury Regional Prison since 2012, Ms Bishop is actively involved with operational duties in relation to the control and management of offenders in custody.
Mr Jason Barnett - is currently the Superintendent at Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison. His motivation to help break the cycle of addiction has led to several successful programs including his leadership and oversight for running the Mallee Rehabilitation Centre for male prisoners at Casuarina Prison.
Ms Sharon Turner - is a Senior Officer at Boronia Pre-Release Centre for Women. She commenced work at Nyandi, now Boronia, in 1999 and was promoted to Senior Officer in 2009. Boronia is a minimum-security facility where residents and their children stay in a community-style setting recognising the diverse needs of incarcerated women. Ms Turner's understanding of Aboriginal cultural issues has enabled her to form positive relationships between the residents and staff.
Ms Wendy Duguid - is the Director of Adult Court Services. Among her many achievements was the development of a decision-making guide to enable Community Corrections Officers to make reasonable practice decisions for compliance, risk, harm, and responsivity. The guide has enabled staff to make defensible decisions mitigating risk to the community.
As stated by Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia:
"Congratulations to the six staff members who thoroughly deserve this prestigious honour.
"They are a great example of the contribution that Corrective Services staff make across Western Australia to keep our prisons and communities safe.
"It's pleasing to see recognition of the many programs in WA prisons that are working towards rehabilitating and reintegrating prisoners into society."
