Inside Tamworth Correctional Centre: senior case management officer Sara Abberton shares her story

Senior case management officer Sara Abberton said those wanting to become a corrections officer also needed people skills and the ambition to "assist inmates to be independent".

It's a timely message, with Friday also National Corrections Day. This celebrates the staff who commit to keeping locals safe by working with offenders.

Ms Abberton shared her story during a tour of the jail to mark corrections day.

She started her job two years ago, and felt like she had finally found her calling.

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Coming into the role with a wealth of experience working with various Aboriginal support services in the community, the Gomeroi woman saw it as an opportunity to affect change where it really mattered - behind prison walls.

"When I came to Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) I was thinking of the bigger picture," the 35-year-old said.

"I've worked with offenders in early intervention roles, in the courts and when they've been released from prison, so I wanted to use that knowledge and experience to inform policy and projects for Aboriginal offenders in custody."

Since joining CSNSW in 2018, she has helped establish an Aboriginal steering committee at the prison and pushed for a yarning circle to be built as a supportive space for inmates to engage in programs and services.

Ms Abberton, who paints artworks in her spare time, takes great satisfaction in providing Aboriginal inmates opportunities to connect with their culture and believes it's the key to helping them make positive changes to their lives.

"It's important for them to have that connection to culture and sense of belonging," she said.

"To me, reducing reoffending means our men can be at home with their families, be on country, be strong dads, pops and brothers, and be sharing their culture and knowledge with the younger generations.

"It's about people being together and I hope the work we do in prison contributes to that, because we're not just locking people up and leaving it at that."

CSNSW includes about 5,000 custodial officers, 1800 community corrections staff, 750 industries workers, 720 psychologists and programs officers, and 1170 security and intelligence staff.