Speakers
Samantha Ryan
Parallel Workshops
This presentation demonstrates Corrections Victoria’s (CV) approach to supporting men in custody who have experienced trauma, highlighting strategies to provide trauma-informed, gender-responsive therapeutic supports and equip custodial staff to meet the complex needs of men in prison. Aligned with Theme 1 (Collaborative Partnerships) and Theme 3 (Managing Prison Growth & Complexity), the session showcases CV’s partnership with Victorian not-for-profit psychological consulting firm Caraniche to deliver evidence-based specialist trauma counselling and trauma-informed, gender-responsive training. These initiatives strengthen staff capability, foster the working alliance, and enhance engagement in rehabilitative pathways for men in custody. Participants will gain practical insights into implementing trauma-informed, gender-responsive interventions in correctional environments, informed by research, lived experience, and cross-sector collaboration.
Sam has over 24 years’ experience of working within Corrections Victoria, both in operational and strategic roles, gaining vast knowledge and insight into the social issues impacting people in contact with the justice system.
Sam’s understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by people in prison, partnered with her extensive experience of working in a correctional environment, have been of benefit when planning, developing and implementing a comprehensive range of evidence-based programs and services.
In her current role as Senior Projects Manager, Sam, is responsible for leading initiatives that address emerging issues and trends relevant to the Victorian prison system. Recent work includes facilitating pre-service training for new prison officers that incorporates a lived experience panel, developing rehabilitation and reintegration content for people in prison accessed via a prison intranet and leading the implementation of a specialist men's trauma counselling service, first of its kind, in the Victorian men's prison system.
Vicki commenced her career in education before joining Corrections Victoria in 2009 as a custodial officer within the women’s prison system. In this role, she worked directly with women in custody supporting rehabilitation and reintegration outcomes, and contributed to the professional development of custodial staff through training for both new and experienced officers.
Drawing on her background in education and custodial practice, she was appointed Senior Project Manager with the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Branch in 2020. In this role, she led the development and implementation of trauma-informed, gender-responsive training for custodial staff across the women’s system, supporting evidence-informed correctional practice.
In 2025, Vicki led the extension of the SaferSkills program into the men’s system and the introduction of a professional development stream to strengthen custodial practice. She is currently Senior Manager, Professional Practice, leading statewide implementation across Victoria’s correctional system.