Against her Nan’s wishes, at 26, Jessica followed her dream and joined Corrective Services NSW, leaving behind a career as a NSW Police officer and prior stints with non-for-profits.
Now a Team Leader at Parramatta Community Corrections, the 31-year-old overseas a team of community corrections staff as they manage people on parole and under supervision.
“The idea that you can bring someone back from a life of crime has always fascinated me,” says Jessica, who has a criminal justice degree under her belt and received First Class Honours for a thesis on the impact of ‘American Prison Based Rehabilitation Programs on Recidivism’.
“Some of these offenders have made the wrong decisions because they haven’t been afforded the guidance or the opportunity to make the right ones,” Jessica said.
“By ensuring the right supports are in place when a person leaves prison, and guiding offenders during regular check-ins, Community Corrections officers can often be the difference between a person re-offending or not.”
Jessica is among 10,500 Corrective Services NSW staff being celebrated on National Corrections Day (NCD) , May 16 for her commitment to community safety and reducing reoffending.
NCD takes the community behind the prison walls and Community Corrections office doors to hear the stories of staff and learn about the important work they do, which mostly goes unseen.
While some may argue prison is the only place for those who break the law, Jessica believes true rehabilitation can only be achieved by teaching people how to live a law-abiding life as a functioning member of society.
“If you just lock a person up and throw mud at them, then why would they change?” Jessica says.
Born in Blacktown, and raised in St Clair, Jessica is passionate about Sydney’s Western Suburbs and feels deeply connected to doing her part in making it as safe as possible.
The CSNSW workforce includes around 5,300 custodial officers working in prisons, 2,100 Community Corrections staff supervising offenders in the community, and more than 3,000 psychologists, programs, education, industries, and corporate professionals.
