They guard some of the state's most notorious criminals, but little is known about the work that goes on inside the walls of the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre at Kempsey.
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Senior correctional officer Samantha Henshaw needs little reminder about the volatile nature of her profession.
Ms Henshaw started her career at the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre at the age of 21, and within two years was promoted from a casual officer to a fully-fledged, full-time correctional officer.
She has been in many confronting situations during her time as a correctional officer, including when she was part of a response team that entered a prison yard when a riot broke out while the Immediate Action Team (IAT) used chemical munitions as a last resort to quell the unrest.
"It's a very challenging environment to work in," she said. "We open the cell doors to some of the state's most dangerous individuals who have committed extreme acts of violence.
"Every single day is different in the correctional centre environment and our officers deal with a range of serious incidents.
"Our priority is ensuring that every officer who commences duty returns home safely to their family at the end of the day."
Ms Henshaw will be among 10,500 Corrective Services New South Wales (CSNSW) staff celebrated on National Corrections Day on Friday, January 20, for her commitment to community safety and reducing reoffending.
During her six years with CSNSW, she has worked at Oberon Correctional Centre and the High-Risk Management Unit in Goulburn.
Ms Henshaw has been recognised for her hard work and dedication, being named the Mid North Coast Correction Centre ambassador for 2023 as part of National Corrections Day.
"It's a rewarding job," she said. "The work that we do does in turn change some individuals' lives... the fact that inmates are able to be rehabilitated is just a credit to every staff member that works in the correctional centre."
"Having worked in some of the state's toughest prisons, I'm passionate about building safer workplaces and am part of a small team rolling out a special training program called TUSK, which aims to support staff in managing complex situations.
"Over the years, we've faced hostage situations, riots, staff assaults, and deaths in custody, and the TUSK team and I provide ongoing training, development, and custodial mentoring."
The Mid North Coast Correctional Centre is a maximum, medium and minimum security centre for men and women.
Located 14km west of Kempsey at Aldavilla, the centre holds around 1000 inmates and has up to 400 custodial and non-custodial staff.
The challenges of the job, while not widely known, are ever-present for Mid North Coast Correctional Centre Governor Matthew Pike.
"It's a very difficult job for the staff," he said. "When you're coming through the gate, you just don't know what is going to happen throughout the day."
Mr Pike said the inmates keep themselves busy with various programs that aim to encourage rehabilitation and allow the inmates to develop skills that they can then use when they are released from prison.
"There's a heavy focus on the inmates acquiring skills and certain trades," he said. "For example, we have a furniture shop where they use tools to make beds, there's a food industry and there's a textiles industry.
"We also have a high intensity program unit where [the inmates] go and learn how to read and write properly which upskills them in education."
The female inmates in the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre also do various activities throughout the day.
One inmate shared her experience inside the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre.
"We work at the gardens seven days a week," she said. "It helps us get out of the jail setting and separates us from being inside all day.
"We've done a turtle with succulents and a yarning circle for the girls. This is stage one, but we are also going to do a sensory garden next... it honestly [helps] our mindframe and progression for us girls."
Mr Pike said rehabilitation is the focus at the correctional centre and the work conducted by correctional staff is something to be celebrated.
"National Corrections Day celebrates the fantastic job not only uniform but also non-uniform staff do throughout the system," he said.
"It's a job that is not seen by the public as we operate behind four walls... but each day the staff show bravery, dedication and commitment that should be recognised and celebrated."
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