21 June 2007
The 6th Annual Prison Officer of the Year Awards were held in Leeds yesterday to celebrate the outstanding work of Prison Service staff.
A record 525 officers were nominated out of our 48,000 staff.
The 25 finalists were selected for their excellence in promoting diversity, maintaining decency, rehabilitating and resettling prisoners, managing difficult prisoners, preventing suicide, working with young people, supporting colleagues, and improving security.
Pam Chalk, of HMP Wealstun, was chosen by Prison Service Director General Phil Wheatley as the overall winner. As Prison Officer of the Year 2007, she received £5,000 in holiday vouchers and 10 days special paid leave.
A special Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Diane Tarry from HMP Morton Hall in the East Midlands. This was in recognition of the outstanding contribution she has made to the Service during the course of her career.
As the winners were announced, Prisons Minister David Hanson said:
"These awards don't just highlight the winners' outstanding achievements. They serve as an important reminder of the excellent job done by the whole Prison Service.
I appreciate that that much of the vital work prison staff do goes unseen by the public, and perhaps it's easy for prison officers to take the vital work they do for granted. So it's important that the dedication, hard work and professionalism of prison staff are rewarded in this way.
I warmly congratulate the winners, the finalists, and all those who were nominated. You rightly deserve this recognition of your achievements."
Prison Service Director General Phil Wheatley said,
"I was very impressed with the standard of the nominees and I'd like to thank and congratulate every one of them.
Every day thousands of staff throughout the Service carry out their work with great professionalism and commitment in what can often be difficult and challenging circumstances. It therefore gives me great personal satisfaction that these awards acknowledge those individuals who have performed exceptionally well over the past year."
Notes to editors
1. The winners in each category were announced at the ceremony:
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Diversity: Sean Talbot HMP Standford Hill
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Decency: Pam Chalk HMP Wealstun
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Resettlement: Alison Wren HMP Parkhurst
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Managing Difficult Prisoners: Mark Jobsz HMP Whitemoor
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Suicide Prevention: Tony Bond HMIRC Dover
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Working with Young People: Anthony Watts HMP/YOI Feltham
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Staff Support: Danielle McDermott HMP Leeds
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Security: John Gardner HMP Frankland
2. If you would like to arrange an interview with any of the winners or finalists, receive photographs from the ceremony or require any further information, please contact Joanna Jacobson in the Ministry of Justice Press Office on 020 7210 8668.
ENDS