ICPA Announces 2025 Award Winners: Celebrating Excellence in Corrections Worldwide

The 2025 ICPA Head of Service Award is presented posthumously to Mr. Peter Severin, former Commissioner for Correctional Services in New South Wales, Australia. This award recognizes heads of service who have made outstanding contributions to advancing professional and humane prison and corrections in their country. Peter Severin's exceptional dedication to correctional services left an indelible mark on both Australia and the international corrections community. His leadership, vision, and commitment to humane correctional practices continue to inspire professionals worldwide. Luke Grant accepted the award on behalf of Peter Severin.

 

The National Trade Union of Prison Police (Sindicatul Național al Personalului din Penitenciare), Romania receives the Staff Welfare Award for their project "Advancing Staff Well-being in Correctional Services." Vice-President Adrian Neagoe accepted the honor. SNPP's groundbreaking work has driven standardized HR policies, improved training programs, and established the first nationally recognized framework for job strain in the correctional field—setting a precedent for Eastern Europe. Their advocacy has led 85% of Romanian prisons to adopt fair shift systems that prevent staff exhaustion, supporting both staff well-being and operational effectiveness across the sector.

 

The Kosovo Correctional Service is honored with the Correctional Healthcare Award for their "Comprehensive Care and Rehabilitation" initiative. Director General Ismail Dibrani accepted the award. Through reformative, evidence-based rehabilitation programs developed in cooperation with national and international partners, KCS has achieved a remarkable reduction in recidivism to just 12%. Their transformative initiatives include tailored rehabilitation programs for persons in custody and the establishment of a specialized healthcare institution within the Dubrava Correctional Centre, demonstrating the effectiveness of a rehabilitative, health-centered correctional model.

 

The Northern Ireland Prison Service receives recognition for Hydebank Wood Secure College, which exemplifies humane and rehabilitative practices for young people in custody. Director General Beverly Wall, Director of Prisons David Kennedy, and Director of Corporate Services Brendan Giffen accepted the award. With over 90% daily participation in academic, vocational, and life skills programs, Hydebank Wood places education, personal development, and community engagement at its core. The facility's trauma-informed, person-centered approach promotes individual potential, safety, and purposeful activity, setting a new standard for youth corrections.

 

The Prison and Probation Service, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and Health Care Services for Prisoners, Finland jointly receive the Research Award for the "Finnish Prison Population Study - Health and Wellbeing of Prisoners (WattuIV)." Research Manager Mika Rautanen accepted on behalf of the collaborative team. This comprehensive health examination of Finland's prison population revealed extensive information about the health and well-being of persons in custody while highlighting opportunities for improved care continuity. The findings have already been utilized in national reforms in healthcare, rehabilitation, and prison management, establishing WattuIV as a baseline for evidence-based correctional healthcare in Finland.

 

The Singapore Prison Service is honored for their "Women's Programming for Reducing Re-offending." Deputy Commissioner of Prisons (Policy and Transformation) Rockey Francisco Junior accepted the award. Through a holistic, gender-responsive approach addressing both immediate rehabilitation needs and long-term reintegration challenges, SPS has reduced women's 2-year recidivism from 19.1% in 2018 to 13.0% in 2022. During the same period, the population of women in custody decreased from 1,310 to 973. Supported by a strong network of community partnerships and peer mentors, this program demonstrates the powerful impact of evidence-based rehabilitation.

 

The Correctional Service of Canada's Sherri Rousell, District Director for Central Ontario District, receives the Outstanding Correctional Service Employee Award for her exemplary professionalism and dedication. With more than 25 years of service spanning frontline roles to senior leadership within the Central Ontario District of the Ontario and Nunavut Region, Ms. Rousell has demonstrated exceptional leadership grounded in experience, empathy, and respect for the mission of the Correctional Service of Canada. Her deep understanding of the communities she serves has made a lasting impact on public safety and correctional excellence.

 

The ICPA President's Award—a unique honor recognizing outstanding contribution to corrections and criminal justice—is presented to Dr. John P. May, MD, founder and leader of Health through Walls, USA. This award recognizes Dr. May's exceptional contribution to healthcare in corrections. Under his stewardship, Health through Walls has delivered direct patient care, training, medical resources, and sustainable system-level support across prisons in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Malawi, the Central African Republic, and Mozambique. This honor celebrates his decades of service advancing prison health, building local capacity, and bringing compassionate, evidence-based care to some of the world's most underserved custodial settings.

 

The 2025 ICPA awards celebrate the dedication, innovation, and humanity demonstrated by correctional professionals and organizations worldwide. These award recipients exemplify the values of the ICPA and inspire continued excellence in advancing professional and humane corrections globally.