Prison Officer Paul Wade has been appointed to the position of Resettlement Officer at the Isle of Man Prison.
Paul, 49, was born in Germany while his Manx father was stationed there with the RAF. He has 10 years experience in HMPS and joined the Isle of Man Prison Service in 1997.
His appointment will support and assist the Resettlement Principal Officer and the Resettlement Team to undertake the many duties which are critical to ensuring custody planning is managed efficiently.
Outside work, Paul is a keen genealogist and assists the Isle of Man Family History Society and the Manx Museum in transcribing old documents. Paul has traced his Manx family tree in the Isle of Man to 1679 – ancestors who coincidentally resided in Jurby.
The new Resettlement post is not an additional post and has been strategically created by reorganizing certain officer positions in order to maximize staff usage and efficiency, while streamlining procedures and processes.
Paul said: ‘Resettlement is a key area not only within the prison, but also outside the prison too. We do not have the same level of financial resources, facilities, organizations or specialized professional personnel available as the UK service. This however, does not mean we're second best, far from it. I've been involved with many capable and enthusiastic agencies on the Island that have a unique community spirit and I look forward to working closely with them.’
He added: ‘My role will involve liaising with many outside agencies, for example DAT, CIRCA and Kemmyrk, organizing public protection meetings, interviewing new receptions, initiating custody plans and assisting in the prison work allocation boards.
‘Our aim in Resettlement is to reduce the number of victims on the Isle of Man. If an ex-prisoner has somewhere to live, is employed and has some form of ID such as a bank account, then this creates stability, ownership and responsibility in their lives, and recidivism is vastly reduced. I'm therefore keen to seek out new employers and organizations who are willing to give prisoners a chance in proving themselves and to help me in assisting prisoners return to a normal life without the need of offending’.
Resettlement and Regimes Deputy Governor Nigel Fisher said: ‘I would like to congratulate Paul on his new appointment. He has shown a real commitment to Resettlement and is valued addition to the team.’
Ends
Tuesday 4th, January 2011 04:10pm.
