Six corrections officials from the Northwest Territories have been awarded The Governor General of Canada’s Corrections Exemplary Service Medal.
It’s considered Canada’s highest honour for the Corrections Services, according to a news release from the territorial government’s department of justice.
The Corrections Exemplary Service Medals recognize distinguished service and are described as a tangible expression of national gratitude.
The medals were presented by Margaret Thom, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, during an evening reception on May 7, 2019.
In order to be considered for the honour, recipients must be nominated and have served a minimum of 20 years in the corrections field, demonstrated good conduct and served in an exemplary manner.
The recipients are Blair VanMetre, Greg Paul and Darrel James Ouellette, all of Yellowknife, and Kenneth Bradley Boyer, David Sanguez and Robert W. Haley from Hay River.
Louis Sebert, the territorial justice minister, had high praise for the officials.
“Today’s Corrections professionals are involved with inmates from the moment they enter a Corrections facility or receive their probation orders. They are in the optimal position to directly influence and positively support offenders as they prepare to rejoin our communities, Sebert stated in a news release. “Each of these medal winners has demonstrated leadership, dedication. We have good reason to be proud of the professional staff in our Corrections Service.”
The recognition follows a couple of negative stories flowing out of the North Slave Correctional Complex (NSCC) in Yellowknife including the firing of two corrections officers for allegedly have sex with a male inmate inside the jail and a deputy warden leaving his job the facility after being convicted of viciously biting a fellow NSCC employee on the cheek at a party.