Probation officer gets December’s civil service gong

(CNS): The Home Affairs Ministry has another Employee of the Month within its ranks, with December's award going to Probation Officer Herbert Tomlinson. Considerably less controversial than the November winner, Tomlinson is viewed as a positive role model by colleagues and clients and the go-to officer in his department for high-risk clients, a government release said. He joined the Department of Community Relations in 2008 with experience from the Jamaican probation and parole services, where he worked for more than 15 years. Officials said Tomlinson possesses an unstinting work ethic and deep commitment to the department’s goals of intervention and rehabilitation. 

Able to positively influence offenders assigned to his department by the courts through his actions aimed at reducing recidivism and improving public safety, he views his individual clients not merely as “cases” or “statistics” but deserving persons who receive tangible benefits from the holistic approach that he brings to offender management.

In his work facilitating the department’s non-violence programme for men, Tomlinson has also shown a remarkable ability to engage participants by posing questions that cause them to truly self-reflect, his nominators stated. His goal: to empower individuals to gain an insight into making better choices and thereby improving their overall circumstances.

Lauding his accomplishments, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson pointed to 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 told Tomlinson as he handed over the award, pointing to his “calm and collected approach to tackling issues”.

Tomlinson said he was truly humbled and motivated by the award and 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.