Last Friday, 16 May, was Australasian National Corrections Day and we used the opportunity to acknowledge and recognise all our frontline staff who work hard every day to keep communities safe.

Here are a few of our dedicated staff and their stories of working for Corrections.

Vikram - Kitchen and Laundry Instructor

Across New Zealand’s 18 prisons, our Instructors are helping people in prison build real skills for real jobs.  Inside our prisons, we operate work-like training environments in industries like hospitality, construction, engineering and manufacturing.  The goal is simple but powerful: to improve employment prospects and teach valuable life skills that support successful reintegration into the community.

At Mt Eden Corrections Facility, Vikram is a kitchen and laundry instructor who runs the staff café.  In this fast-paced, professional setting, he teaches barista and customer service skills that mirror real-world hospitality roles.  For Vikram, the impact goes beyond technical training.

“I wanted to be part of the process to support people to see a different perspective,” says Vikram.

Instructors like Vikram play a vital role in helping participants earn formal qualifications and develop the confidence to pursue employment after release.  They bring industry knowledge, patience, and the motivation to help make a lasting difference.

Vikram says teaching the men new skills and knowledge is rewarding.

This is a role for people who want to use their skills to create change.  It’s about more than teaching – it’s about opening doors, building trust, and helping others take the first step toward a better future.

Vikram receiving award

Liv - Probation Officer

Every day, our Community Corrections staff work with thousands of people serving community-based sentences. At any given time, around 26,000 offenders are under our management – each with their own story, challenges, and potential for change.

Probation Officers like Liv are at the heart of this work. Their role is to support reintegration, motivate people to make meaningful changes in their lives, and monitor compliance. That might mean helping someone access a programme to address violent behaviour, substance abuse, or unsafe driving. It might mean simply being a consistent presence – someone who believes change is possible. At the core of the role is the drive to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

For Liv, the role is both dynamic and deeply rewarding.

“When I saw how varied the job was with so many opportunities to help others, I knew I had found the career that I had wanted,” she says. “The most rewarding part of my job is the work I get to do face-to-face with the people who need it the most. It’s always amazing to see how people progress throughout their sentence. I aim for them to leave in a better space than what they started.”

Liv - supporting in the community

Sam – Corrections Officer

Meet Sam, a Senior Corrections Officer at Waikeria Prison. For the past seventeen years he’s been making a real difference in the lives of others. His journey at Corrections began as a Community Work Supervisor, supporting people serving community sentences. That experience sparked a deeper interest in rehabilitation and led him to take the next step – becoming a Corrections Officer.

Now in a senior role, Sam continues to find meaning in the work he does every day.

“I really enjoy my job,” Sam says. “There is so much more to the job than people realise.”

As a Senior Corrections Officer, Sam plays a key role in supporting people in prison to develop the skills and mindset they need to turn lives around. Whether it’s encouraging participation in rehabilitation programmes, supporting someone to take up a new skill, or simply being a steady, respectful presence. While the work has a strong safety and security focus, it’s also about making positive change.

“You get to support people in prison to learn new skills to help them on their rehabilitation pathway to help stop re-offending when they’re released. You can really make a difference.”

Corrections Officers like Sam are mentors, role models, and agents of change. They work in a challenging environment, but one where the impact is tangible – and often life-changing.

Sam - supporting those in prison

 

Thank you to all our staff for their hard work every day!