- National Corrections Day recognises the vital work of Corrective Services staff
- More than 5,000 corrections employees State-wide contribute to safer communities
- 2026 theme is "Extraordinary Work, Extraordinary People"
Today, National Corrections Day, recognises the vital, often unseen, work of Corrective Services employees, who include nurses, psychologists, social workers, teachers and trainers, as well as Prison Officers and Community Corrections staff.
This year's theme, "Extraordinary Work, Extraordinary People", recognises that their work, whether in prisons and detention centres or in the community, helps reduce reoffending and build safer communities.
More than 5,000 people work in Corrective Services across Western Australia, managing people both in the community and in custody.
Rehabilitation and reintegration sit at the heart of Corrective Services, including programs for people in custody that support the State and improve outcomes.
Supervised minimum-security prisoners complete 450,000 hours of community work each year on WA projects, from disaster recovery to bushfire mitigation and heritage restoration.
WA's prison estate also supports a thriving farming industry: surplus produce is donated to charity or communities in need, and people in custody receive agricultural skills training.
In the 2025-26 financial year to date, Prison Industries has supplied correctional sites with more than 7.5 million meals, plus 1.5 million litres of milk and 1.57 million eggs produced on prison farms.
Over the same period, the Drug Detection Unit conducted more than 2,600 canine searches, resulting in 94 seizures of narcotics and contraband.
To mark the dedication of Corrective Services staff, in the wide variety of roles State-wide, landmarks including the Bell Tower, Matagarup Bridge and Albany's CBD will light up blue and green, in national corrections colours, today and tomorrow, 15-16 May.
Images of a selection of staff honoured this week with Corrective Services Awards are being displayed on the Yagan Square Digital Tower in central Perth.
"Extraordinary Work, Extraordinary People" reflects the array of unique and rewarding careers available with Corrective Services.
Close to 300 new Prison Officers joined the ranks last year, with hundreds more applicants and trainees in the pipeline to commence careers.
Youth justice officers and youth custodial officers, who work with young people in the community and in detention centres, are also in training at the award-winning Corrective Services Academy.
As stated by Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia:
"On National Corrections Day, I'm proud to honour the thousands of Corrective Services staff State-wide, who show up every day with professionalism, resilience and a commitment to keeping Western Australia safe.
"I'm also pleased to see WA communities and projects benefit from the extraordinary efforts of Corrective Services people.
"They do complex, often challenging work which goes largely unseen, playing a key role in reducing reoffending. They deserve to be recognised."
