It was just your average working day in for Correctional Officer Brooke Dixon when a steno call came through that an inmate needed help and to come quick. Brooke immediately made her way to the pod area to find an inmate choking, unable to breathe. It was then that all her first aid training kicked in, and she begun the Heimlich Maneuver on the distressed inmate. After around 8 seconds of continuous blows, a large piece of food fell to the floor from the inmate’s mouth and he was able to breathe again. The Centre Medical Team arrived and assessed the inmate, determining that Brooke had actually saved the inmate’s life.
Brooke has only been a Correctional Officer for about 2 years and prior to that spent years as a salesperson; however, she felt very unfulfilled and was desperate for a career change. That is when she decided to become a correctional officer, as she believed the skills she had developed during her years as a salesperson could be utilised to make a difference in people’s lives. Brooke could easily build a rapport with clients to convince them to purchase products from her, so she figured how hard would it be to build a rapport with inmates to convince them to gain employment, attend programs, and better themselves for reintegration back to the community.
Brooke said, “Every day as an officer is different. I’m loving the challenges that every day brings, and I learn from each and every situation and experience. I’m excited for what the future holds for me, and I’m looking forward to a long and fulfilling career at GEO.” Brooke received recognition for her quick thinking and actions which saved the inmate's life.
