Kaisa Tammi winner of ICPA Outstanding Correctional Service Employee Award

ICPA awarded Tammi for her exemplary advancement of humanitarian approaches and professional corrections. According to the Association, Tammi has advanced and enhanced humanitarian treatment, cooperation, teamwork and sharing of professional knowledge and experiences in the corrections.

− I am very flattered by the award. The work done in the prisons has a great social impact and builds a safer tomorrow, and I am proud that I have been able to do my best to contribute to that, Tammi says.

The award presented by ICPA is based on, among other things, statements on Tammi’s work received from international cooperation partners. The statements highlight Tammi’s remarkable dedication to improving the conditions and treatment of female prisoners.

Kaisa Tammi has devoted a significant part of her life’s work to developing the activities, safety, conditions and networks of female prisoners in Finland. She has been actively involved in developing female-specific work in prisons also internationally. At the moment, Tammi is the director of the Prison and Probation Centre for Hämeenlinna and responsible for the female-specific work of the Finnish Prison and Probation Service nationwide.

− The status of female prisoners still needs a lot of improvement even from an international perspective. The award is both personal recognition for my work and general recognition for the effort to improve the status of female prisoners around the world, Tammi says.

During her career, Tammi has taught the prison and probation staff female-specific and trauma-based approaches in their work and promoted the detection of the victims of trafficking in human beings and the coordination of public services in prison and probation work. In addition, she has advanced the involvement of experts by experience in rehabilitation and staff training. As a result of her report on female prisoners, which was prepared in 2020, there are now separate open prisons for male and female prisoners in Finland. The wards for women in closed prisons are also being developed based on the report.

Further information:
Director Riitta Kari, tel. +358 29 568 8401, riitta.kari(a)om.fi

Find out more:
International Prison and Corrections Association (icpa.org)