Recently, Premier David Burt congratulated Ms Yvette Brown, the December 2023 Public Service Excellence Awards (PSEA) winner.
Ms. Brown is recognized for her outstanding commitment, care, and compassion for her clients at the Westgate Correctional Facility, where she serves the community as a social worker to the Department of Corrections.
Ms. Brown is awarded for continuously going above and beyond in her professional role, which she has excelled in for the past five years. Her responsibilities include liaising daily with the families of convicted clients to maintain connections between them and their children, parents, and extended family. She assists clients with finding housing, appearing in court for family matters, accessing social funds, attending social events, and a host of other activities. She also provides support for staff and serves as Programme Director when required. She is admired for her kindness, attentiveness, and humanity; character traits which inspire and motivate both her clients and colleagues.
In December 2023, she organized family Christmas events for the male and female clients across DOC’s three facilities. She took every possible security measure to ensure the events were safe for all who participated, so that clients would have the opportunity to see their children and loved ones over the holidays. This is just one example of her innovation that has prompted colleagues to describe her as a “bridge builder” for her ability to see existing gaps in services and work tirelessly to provide solutions for the benefit of the Bermuda community, despite challenges and obstacles presented along the way.
“‘The degree of a civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons’ said the great Russian writer, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky. Yvette Brown epitomizes Dostoyevsky’s sentiments in the manner she conducts social work duties in the Department of Corrections for the Bermudian Society” said Dr. Emcee Chek was, a Psychologist at Westgate Correctional Facility, who made a glowing referral that Ms. Brown be awarded this month’s PSEA. He praised Ms. Brown for her ability to handle the exhaustive responsibilities of her role, despite limited and often inadequate resources, with the best possible attitude and never a complaint, he adds that “Humility is always at the heart of her functions.”
The Premier of Bermuda, the Hon. David Burt, thanked Ms. Brown for her service. He said: “One of the key principles in the area of Corrections is to successfully reform and reintegrate healed individuals into society, this work starts the moment a person joins the prison population. Thank you, Ms. Brown, for doing everything within your power to ensure they feel considered and cared for, not only during the holidays, but all year round. Your compassion is truly inspiring to us all and epitomizes what it means to be a public servant in service to the Bermuda community.”
Head of the Public Service, Mrs. Cherie-lynn Whitter, said: “For some people, working for the public service is merely a job, and for others, it is a calling. Ms. Brown’s story is a shining example of how meaningful our work can be as public officers. On behalf of the entire Public Service Executive, I extend our thanks for her incredible commitment to her role, and the tremendous impact she has made on all those she has worked with. Well done, and congratulations!”