❓ The Minister for Corrective Services provides an update on prison officer and youth custodial officer recruitment, highlighting recent graduations and future recruitment plans to boost workforce numbers.
AnsweredQoN 618Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIVE SERVICES —
RECRUITMENT
618. Dr G.G. JACOBS to the Minister for
Corrective Services:
I understand the minister recently
attended a prison officer graduation. Can the minister update the house on the
current situation with prison officer and youth custodial officer recruitment?
RECRUITMENT
618. Dr G.G. JACOBS to the Minister for
Corrective Services:
I understand the minister recently
attended a prison officer graduation. Can the minister update the house on the
current situation with prison officer and youth custodial officer recruitment?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question and for his interest in
this matter. Yes, on 6 August I attended a wonderful graduation ceremony for
yet another class of newly minted prison officers, 23 of whom graduated from
the entry-level training program at the academy run by the Department of
Corrective Services. Those new prison officers have come from a range of
backgrounds: some from the catering industry, some from the mining and
resources sector, and some from the defence forces—a great combination
of people from different backgrounds with lots of experience to bring to the
job. They are very, very motivated and are embracing the Department of Corrective
Services' brand-new motto, ''to serve, to protect and
rehabilitate'', because that is essentially its key role now. It was
impressive to see so many classes of prison officers going through this year,
and so many new classes of youth custodial officers. A class of youth custodial
officers has just graduated. Another one is underway at the moment, and a
further one will be starting shortly, which will add an additional 50 new youth
custodial officers to the workforce at Banksia Hill Detention Centre by the end
of December. We are getting on with the job of boosting the workforce to bring
new, motivated people into the Department of Corrective Services. We have yet
to recruit even more prison officers this year, because we want to boost those
numbers even further. If members know someone who wants to join a great team
with a great new leadership in a great new department, I would encourage them
to consider the job of being either a youth custodial officer or a prison
officer. If they want to make a worthwhile difference to the lives of some very
troubled people, it could be a very, very rewarding career.
this matter. Yes, on 6 August I attended a wonderful graduation ceremony for
yet another class of newly minted prison officers, 23 of whom graduated from
the entry-level training program at the academy run by the Department of
Corrective Services. Those new prison officers have come from a range of
backgrounds: some from the catering industry, some from the mining and
resources sector, and some from the defence forces—a great combination
of people from different backgrounds with lots of experience to bring to the
job. They are very, very motivated and are embracing the Department of Corrective
Services' brand-new motto, ''to serve, to protect and
rehabilitate'', because that is essentially its key role now. It was
impressive to see so many classes of prison officers going through this year,
and so many new classes of youth custodial officers. A class of youth custodial
officers has just graduated. Another one is underway at the moment, and a
further one will be starting shortly, which will add an additional 50 new youth
custodial officers to the workforce at Banksia Hill Detention Centre by the end
of December. We are getting on with the job of boosting the workforce to bring
new, motivated people into the Department of Corrective Services. We have yet
to recruit even more prison officers this year, because we want to boost those
numbers even further. If members know someone who wants to join a great team
with a great new leadership in a great new department, I would encourage them
to consider the job of being either a youth custodial officer or a prison
officer. If they want to make a worthwhile difference to the lives of some very
troubled people, it could be a very, very rewarding career.
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