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Vocational Support Officer Wes didn’t think his experience in agriculture would lead to prison – but he’s glad it did.

“Previously I was a vet nurse at a local university and prior to that I’d been in the dairy industry so that experience really set me up for the position,” he said. “I’d never worked in a prison, but I found I settled in very quickly with the team here.”

Wes’ expertise is greatly valued at Karnet Prison Farm, which packs and supplies milk for all the State’s prisons, producing 5500 litres a day – more than a million litres a year.

As a Vocational Support Officer, Wes also teaches prisoners all aspects of dairy production, from milking to helping raise and care for the calves, which are bred throughout the entire year.

“It really benefits the prisoners,” he said. “We help them get different certificates, particularly in agriculture, and have had men who have gone into industry because of the skills they've learned here.

“That helps them integrate back into the community and sets them up for success in the next chapter of their life.”

Helping the men in care grow their skills and knowledge, and harvesting the jobs that come from that, will also assist with the shortage of agricultural workers in the west.

“For me, having VSOs is critical not only to prisoner’s rehabilitation, but to developing industry by getting quality, employable people back into the community,” Wes said.

“Being involved in that process is very rewarding – anyone thinking about joining the Department should give it a go, because it certainly worked out well for me.”