Real Impact in Action: Serco Asia Pacific's Community Engagement Initiatives in Rehabilitation and Reintegration

ICPA2024 Presentation by Brett McMerrin and Cherie Goodwin (ICPA2024-PID060)

Authors

Brett McMerrin

Operations Director Justice, Serco Asia Pacific

Brett McMerrin is the Operations Director-Justice for Serco Asia Pacific and has had more than 20 years’ experience working in the corrections industry overseeing the introduction of innovative technology, improved rehabilitation strategies, and forward-thinking approaches to prisoner management. Throughout his career Brett has always championed for more effective and humane systems that address both the needs of prisoners and the broader goals of public safety.
Motivated by public safety and a commitment to rehabilitation and justice, Brett also advocates for community engagement, believing it plays a crucial role in supporting the work in prisons by fostering collaboration, understanding, and rehabilitation, helping build bridges between prisons and the community, promoting a sense of shared responsibility for the reintegration of prisons. Throughout his career Brett has seen first-hand how these interventions can lead to greater support networks for released individuals, increased access to resources, and enhanced community safety through a collaborative approach to addressing the root causes of their behaviour.
Brett has worked across Western Australia and Victoria in both public sector and private sector roles holding roles as the Assistant Commissioner Custodial Operations, Victoria Corrections and Operations Director, Care & Justice. He has a strong background in technical, operational and stakeholder management, focusing on complex service delivery in high-risk environments across the justice, health, community services and security industries.

Cherie Goodwin

Manager Inmate Services, Clarence Correctional Centre , Serco Asia Pacific

Cherie Goodwin is the Manager Inmate Services at Clarence Correctional Centre in NSW Australia and was part of the team responsible for commissioning the centre in 2020.
With more than 28 years’ experience in the Australian Justice sector, Cherie is responsible for the professional inmate facing, non-custodial staff including Psychologists, Education coordinators, Program Delivery staff, Reintergration teams, Case Management and Sentence Administration staff and Aboriginal Cultural Spiritual Advisors.
Cherie’s work focuses on ensuring that community engagement is available for both staff and inmates. In her role Cherie takes every opportunity to work in the community and to promote and educate people on inmates being able to be involved in activities in the community that provide them with a sense of purpose and allows them to feel valued and connected to community.

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