Helen Nolan began her career with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office as a Correctional Officer on June 20, 1983. She received her entry-level corrections training at the Maryland Correctional Academy in Woodstock, Maryland and graduated on November 8, 1983.
Correctional Officer Nolan’s energy and enthusiasm for her job was immediately evident. That enthusiasm became infectious and enhanced the morale of her co-workers and supervisors. Not one to sit idol during a shift, Correctional Officer Nolan’s initiative and ambition drove her to seek and assume positions of responsibility almost immediately.
Like most new corrections officers, she spent the first few years of her career providing the daily care of the inmates as a floor officer. In 1989, Officer Nolan was given the responsibility of working in the Housing and Adjustment Unit. While assigned to this unit, Officer Nolan was tasked with classifying inmates for housing and calculating inmate time served so that inmates were assured they served the appropriate amount of time. She remained assigned to that unit until 1990.
In 1990, Correctional Officer Nolan returned to the Operations Division as a floor officer where she mentored and trained other young correctional officers. From September of 1998 through August of 1999 Officer Nolan was assigned to the Direct Supervision Unit where she was stationed within the pod with the inmates and averted problem situations.
One of the most important qualities of an officer in the corrections profession is the ability to communicate. Unlike inmates, a correctional officer spends most of his or her life in an incarcerated setting. Inmates at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center serve an average sentence of six months. Lt. Nolan dedicated 27 years of her life providing care, custody and security for not only the inmates, but the civilian personnel as well as her fellow officers. Her supervisors noted her ability to communicate both orally and in writing, citing the compassionate but firm way she interacted with the inmate population.
A correctional officer must be open-minded. Lt. Nolan met and aided several inmates throughout her days and years of service, each unique and requiring various types of assistance to meet their needs. Her supervisors commented and praised her on numerous occasions for her empathy and ability to everyone with dignity and respect.
Helen Nolan received many letters of commendation, awards and promotions throughout her tenure. Some of the highlights in Lt. Nolan’s career include:
In 1991 Correctional Officer Nolan was nominated and received the Correctional Officer of the Year Award. As written in Corporal Lestremayne Stewart’s nomination detail, CO Nolan’s personal involvement and commitment to the goals and ideals of the corrections profession and the St. Mary’s County Detention Center are second to none. Lt. Nolan carried those ideals and that work ethic throughout her entire career as she worked her way up the ranks to Sergeant and Shift Supervisor culminating in her promotion to Lieutenant and Shift Commander in January of 2009.
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