Department of Community Rehabilitation

Published 19th February 2014, 8:33am

Probation Officer Herbert Tomlinson has been named as Employee of the Month for December in the Deputy Governor's awards programme.

Viewed as a positive role model by colleagues and clients alike, Mr Tomlinson's deep commitment towards offender rehabilitation has made him the go-to officer when the Department of Community Rehabilitation (DCR) deals with high-risk clients.

When he joined DCR in 2008, he brought from his native Jamaica rich experience and knowledge gleaned from working in the probation and parole services there for more than 15 years. He also possesses an unstinting work ethic and deep commitment to the department's goals of intervention and rehabilitation.

In particular, he is able to positively influence offenders assigned to his department by the courts, through actions aimed at reducing recidivism and improving public safety. These individuals are not merely "cases" or "statistics" to him but deserving persons who receive tangible benefits from the holistic approach that he brings to offender management.

In his work facilitating the Department's Men's Non-Violence Programme, Mr. Tomlinson has also shown a remarkable ability to engage participants by posing questions that cause them to truly self-reflect, his nominators state. His goal: to empower individuals to gain an insight into making better choices and thereby improving their overall circumstances.

Lauding his accomplishments, Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon., JP, highlighted Mr. Tomlinson's unbiased and professional services to the Courts. "Whether you are interviewing clients, preparing a pre-sentencing report, supervising a court order or facilitating a psycho-educational group, I am assured that you ensure that clients are treated fairly," he commented. He also lauded Mr. Tomlinson's "calm and collected approach to tackling issues".

Stating he is truly humbled and motivated by the award, Mr. Tomlinson acknowledged that he would not have achieved it without the help of his colleagues, senior staff and superiors. "I accept it with humility and on behalf of the department," he said and was sure that in the future, the Deputy Governor would be returning to his department to honour other staff members.

(GIS)