Dave McAlley, a Prisoner Custody Officer from HMP Altcourse, was rewarded for his outstanding work with prisoners and their families at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 18th March 2009. Dave has developed a broad range of initiatives including a drama programme, prison radio station and prisoner magazine at HMP Altcourse and in making this award, the judges were particularly impressed with the way he has involved prisoners' families.

After being presented with his award from the Princess Royal, Dave commented: "I am absolutely thrilled to receive this award for simply doing a job that I love. It's all about engaging with prisoners to bring out the best in them and the feedback I have had from those who get involved in these projects is very rewarding."

David Banks, Group Managing Director for G4S Care and Justice Services said: "Dave's dedication and commitment to those in his care is second to none. His innovative approach has yielded excellent results and we're extremely proud that he has been recognised in this way."