Queensland is lighting up blue to celebrate the work of corrections officers on the front line of public safety on National Corrections Day, Friday 15 January.
Minister for Corrective Services, Mark Ryan, said that communities from Mt Isa to Palm Island and out to Roma were joining with Brisbane in lighting landmarks in blue in recognition of the importance of corrections officers.
“Queensland Corrective Services has more than 6000 officers across the length and breadth of Queensland managing the most complex and challenging people in our society to reduce crime and improve community safety,” Minister Ryan said.
“From high security prisons, to community corrections offices in the far flung Islands in the north of the State and work camps labouring to help local communities clean up after natural disasters, QCS officers work to make Queensland a better, safer place by managing and rehabilitating those who would offend against society.
“It is wonderful to see Queensland communities recognise corrections officers on National Corrections Day,” Minister Ryan said.
Commissioner of Queensland Corrective Services Peter Martin APM said Queensland Corrective Services played a vital role in community safety, and our officers had shown great resilience and commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic added a significant layer of risk to what is an already challenging role, and I am incredibly proud of how our officers around the State responded, innovating and going above and beyond to ensure that public safety was not compromised in any way,” Commissioner Martin said.
“Every day our officers engage with and manage the most challenging and complex people in society to keep our communities safe, and this work was made even more challenging during the pandemic, which significantly disrupted normal processes.
“While our high security prisons might be the visible face of corrections, we have dedicated, professional community corrections officers embedded in communities from one end of Queensland to the other, working with offenders to make Queensland safer for all of us, and it is wonderful that many of those communities are recognising their efforts today by lighting up blue,” Commissioner Martin said.
Minister Ryan and Commissioner Martin will present a range of medals and awards at a National Corrections Day event at QCS HQ from 6pm Friday evening. The event can be viewed live on the QCS Facebook page.
