Reflecting on IRCC 2026: Heads of Service Roundtable (PID173)

3.30pm – 4.30pm NZDT, 4 March 2026 ‐ 1 hour

Plenary Session

Speakers

Yong Lee Shie

Commissioner, Singapore Prison Service

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Jeremy Lightfoot

Chief Executive, Department of Corrections, New Zealand, Ara Poutama Aotearoa

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David Brown

Acting President, ICPA, Australia

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Larissa Strong

Commissioner, Corrections Victoria, Australia

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Heidi Washington

Board Member, ICPA, United States

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Yong Lee Shie

Commissioner, Singapore Prison Service

Yong Lee joined the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) in 1995 after graduating from the National University of Singapore (NUS). Yong Lee's key appointments in SPS include operations and command stints in both the women prison and male prisons, leadership roles in research, strategic planning, transformation, policy and rehabilitation development in SPS. She was appointed as Commissioner of Prisons in 2020. Yong Lee has been serving as board member on the ICPA since 2020. She is concurrently serving as Co-Chairman of Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-offenders (CARE) Network and a Board member in the Yellow Ribbon Singapore and Home Team Science and Technology Agency in Singapore.

Jeremy Lightfoot

Chief Executive, Department of Corrections, New Zealand, Ara Poutama Aotearoa

In February 2020, Jeremy was appointed Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections, Ara Poutama Aotearoa. He leads a workforce of 11,000 people who manage around 10,700 people in prison and 26,000 people serving sentences or orders in the community.

Jeremy initially joined Corrections in May 2010 as the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Director for the Wiri Prison Project where he was responsible for the design, development and successful procurement of New Zealand’s first PPP to combine design, build, financing and operation of a prison.

He’s since held various leadership roles within Corrections, including General Manager of Finance, Technology and Commercial, and National Commissioner, where he was accountable for the operation of 18 prisons and 165 community corrections sites. Before he took the helm as Chief Executive, he was Deputy Chief Executive, Corrections.

Jeremy has extensive public sector and commercial experience both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and Business Management (Hons).

David Brown

Acting President, ICPA, Australia

Mr Brown has enjoyed a wide and varied career in corrections with experience across three jurisdictions. He has worked in both the private and public sector in a range of senior management roles.

In summary, his experience includes:

Chief Executive, DCS, South Australia
Executive Director Custodial Services, DCS, South Australia
Director, Detention Services for GSL (Australia) Pty Ltd
General Manager, Maryborough Correctional Centre, DCS, Queensland
Assistant General Manager, Acacia Prison, Perth for AIMS Corporation
His academic qualifications include:
Bachelor of Arts, double major in Government and a major in Australian History, University of Queensland, 1992; and
Master of Public Administration, University of Queensland, 2001.

Appointed as Chief Executive of the Department for Correctional Services in South Australia in September 2012, he has overseen a critical period of growth and reform across the Department. He has played a key role in strengthening security and emergency management standards across the system; placing a renewed focus on offender rehabilitation, education and vocation training; and building community partnerships to improve reintegration of offender back into society once they leave prison. Mr Brown is passionate about creating an integrated approach to offender management that involves meaningful activity combined with targeted rehabilitation.

In 2016 the South Australian Government set the Department the ambitious target to reduce reoffending by 10% by 2020. 10by20 has served as the primary focus for DCS for six years and demonstrated significant outcomes for South Australia. South Australia’s recidivism rate of 39.3% (2022), represents a 15% reduction in recidivism against the baseline. Following on from the success of 10 by 20, in 2022 the South Australian Government announced a new target to reduce reoffending 20% by 2026.

David is focused on implementing strategies that drive down the rate of re-offending including increased investment in rehabilitation programs, strengthening alternatives to custody such as Home Detention and building better prison services. He remains steadfastly dedicated to reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the Criminal Justice System and Closing the Gap.

Leadership development and succession planning has been a key focus during his time in South Australia and he believes the Department for Correctional Services is well positioned with an experienced Executive and Senior Management group.

Larissa Strong

Commissioner, Corrections Victoria, Australia

Larissa has been the Commissioner of Corrections Victoria since June 2020. Prior to this appointment Larissa was the Deputy Commissioner, Offender Services in Corrections Victoria from 2016. Larissa has extensive experience in the public service, including executive positions focused on organisational strategy and service delivery reform in complex operational environments.

Heidi Washington

Board Member, ICPA, United States

Governor Rick Snyder appointed Heidi E. Washington as the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections in 2015 and she was then reappointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2019. As director, she is responsible for overseeing the administration of Michigan’s correctional system, which includes the state’s prisons, probation and parole supervision, the Parole Board, and other administrative functions, in addition to managing a $2 billion budget.
Director Washington has served in a number of leadership positions during her career with the Department of Corrections. Prior to her appointment as director, she was warden of the Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center and the Duane L. Waters Health Center. She also held positions as warden of Robert Scott Correctional Facility and administrative assistant to the department’s executive bureau and director, where she provided oversight for the Legislative Affairs Office and represented the MDOC before the Legislature. She has additionally served as acting assistant deputy director, overseeing the 19 prison facilities in the southern region of the state, and acting operations administrator for the Correctional Facilities Administration. She joined the MDOC in 1998 as a legislative assistant after working for the Legislature for several years.
Director Washington holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Michigan State University and a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. In 2017, she was named Public Official of the Year by Habitat for Humanity of Michigan for her outstanding vision, dedication, and commitment to excellence, and she was also named the Newsmaker of the Year by the Grand Rapids Business Journal for creating the Vocational Village, the nation’s first skilled trades training center for prisoners. In 2018, she was honored to receive the national Tom Clements Award for her vision and innovation in corrections. Director Washington also serves on the Executive Committee for the Correctional Leaders Association as the Vice President. In 2023 Director Washington was appointed to the board of the International Corrections and Prison Association and in 2025 became the President of the North America Chapter for International Corrections and Prison Association. Director Washington is also a member of Law Enforcement Leaders.