Always on the case

4 August 2026

They don't wear uniforms and they're not there to impose discipline. Instead, Case Management Officers spend their days building relationships with inmates, helping them address the issues that led them into custody and preparing them for life after release. For many inmates, they are one of the few people focused not on their past mistakes, but on their future potential.

“Essentially what we do is shape their pathway to rehabilitation,” Case Management Officer Michael Foster said.

After working as a correctional officer and spending several years in intelligence, Michael now works in the Case Management Unit (CMU), responsible for assessing risks, identifying needs and connecting inmates with the services that can help them change.

“The CMU is like the nerve centre, the brain of the corrections body. We identify the risks and refer them (inmates) to the therapeutic programs and services that can help,” he said.

“The program staff are the heart. They're the ones who put their heart into getting this done.

“The custodial side is the muscular side of the corrections body. They're the ones who maintain discipline and routine. The system can’t work without all of us doing our job and working with each other.”

While case managers often work one-on-one with inmates on rehabilitation plans, meaningful change only happens with a commitment from staff across the entire correctional centre, from custodial officers maintaining safety and routine to program staff delivering treatment and support.

 

First impressions count

When meeting an inmate for the first time, Michael is clear about his role and expectations.

“I tell them, I’m here to make sure you get out at your earliest possible release date, having done everything you’re meant to do, so that there’s less chance you’re coming back in.”

It is different for every person in custody. Some may need to complete offender behaviour programs or drug and alcohol treatment, while others may focus on vocational training, education or rebuilding family connections.

That's why, Michael says, rehabilitation can't be approached with a one-size-fits-all mindset.

“Each person has different situations, different things going on in their head,” he said.

“If you paint everyone with the same brush it just doesn’t work. It’s ineffective and inefficient.”

While Michael brings more than a decade of correctional experience to the role, Case Management Officer Emma Daniels arrived via a very different path.

Emma spent 25 years working as an accountant before admitting to herself that the role she enjoyed more than any other was supporting people, not helping them with their tax returns.

“I tell the inmates I see, I will work one-on-one with you, I am your person,” Emma said.

“I look at where they’ve come from and what’s happened to them. Then we work together to address their issues.”

For Emma that includes building genuine rapport and trust with the inmates she supports.

“When I talk to them at the outset, I say this is what we’re going to do together, are you happy, are you willing to work with me,” she said.

“In the CMU we are part of their behaviour change. We do as much as we can so that they don’t walk out with nothing and end up right back where they started.”

For Michael, building that trust requires a careful balance between professionalism and empathy.

“Showing empathy in custody is a very hard line to walk,” he said.

“If you show too much empathy, people may try to take advantage of it.

“But the moment you stop showing empathy, that's when you get the issues because there's no rapport anymore.

“It's a tough line to walk.” 

While the work can be challenging, Michael says the relationships built through case management are also what make it so rewarding.

“You'll get offenders saying, ‘I'm leaving today and I just want to say thank you for everything you did for me,’” he said.

“That's very edifying. Very gratifying.

“In case management we often get those opportunities because we spend a lot of time working directly with inmates on their rehabilitation goals and plans for release.”

The same goal

Despite their different backgrounds and experiences, Emma and Michael share a common goal: helping people leave custody better equipped to succeed than when they entered.

Whether it's connecting someone with programs, building employment skills, restoring family relationships or preparing them for release, the focus is on creating opportunities for a better future.

Michael says the greatest reward comes when he sees those efforts translate into real change.

“You get heartwarming moments when you see someone walk out with accommodation, employment and renewed family connections,” he said.

“They've got hope. And they've got an option. That's the big one.”