New Commissioner appointed in NSW
Appointed to the position of NSW Commissioner of Corrective Services on 11 January 2002, Ron Woodham has been involved in corrections since joining the former NSW Department of Prisons in June 1966. He is one of the most senior and respected correctional administrators in Australia.
Between 1966 and 1978 he was an overseer, an establishments officer in Head Office and reached the rank of Principal Prison Officer. In 1978 he was appointed officer in charge of security at Long Bay, at that time the largest prison complex in Australia. Experienced throughout the breadth of the Department, he served as Senior Assistant Commissioner from 1997.
Mr Woodham is the first NSW Commissioner to have reached that position from within the ranks of custodial officers. Amongst the many initiatives with which he is associated, the introduction of drug detector dogs and his work in the emergency response areas may be mentioned. He has a particular concern for Australian Aboriginal inmates, an over-represented section of the inmate population, and over many years has vigorously supported programs to assist indigenous Australians and reduce their recidivism.