Community & Business
27 July, 2023
Fresh faces at Lotus
A TEAM of new custodial corrections officers have officially graduated from their 10-week course and are now on the front lines helping protect and rehabilitate inmates at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre.
The graduates will be paired with experienced officers as part of the First Year Mentoring Program offering them hands-on guidance and support as they transition into their operational roles.
When the group began their course 10 weeks ago, The Express spoke with Alec and Darrin about their thoughts starting the program.
Darrin said during the past 10 weeks, he and his classmates have learned a variety of tools to help them in all kinds of scenarios.
“All the training has been based on what our work involves so everything from regulations to covering theory and just general knowledge of people” he said.
“We can now help promote the wellbeing of people in our facility and the safety of the officers and people in the facility.”
Now officially on the floor working alongside other staff and inmates, Alec said she felt prepared for the next step in her career.
“I think we have had some pretty good experiences and it’s good to have that support behind us every step of the way,” she said.
“It feels really good to finally go ‘I know what I’m doing now’ and I know that I’ve got this.”
Chief superintendent and general manager of Lotus Glen Gabriel Payne ACM said she was proud of the fresh graduates and their development throughout their training.
“We are all very proud of them and it is great to see how their skills have developed over the course, especially in different areas like communication, conflict resolution, legislation and behaviour management skills,” she said.
