Kids & Family

Newarkers Honored During Dept. of Corrections Ceremony

Officer of the Year, other awards bestowed Thursday

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. hosted the Essex County Department of Corrections Awards Ceremony at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark on Thursday. During the ceremony, DiVincenzo recognized Lt. Anthony DaSilva as Supervisor of the Year,Officer Peter Janiec as Corrections Officer of the Year and Social Services Director Vierginia St. Phard-Dudley as the Civilian of the Year.

“There is no doubt that correction officers and our staff at the Correctional Facility have a very difficult job and put their lives on the line to maintain the safety, security and decorum of our facility,” DiVincenzo said. “They have a vital role in our criminal justice and public safety systems and we should not take them for granted. Recognizing these employees will raise awareness about their contributions and sacrifices to keep us all safe,” he added.

Lt. Anthony DaSilva: 2013 Supervisor of the Year

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Lt. DaSilva joined the Essex County Department of Corrections in 1996 and graduated from the Essex County College Police Academy in 1998 where he received the Charles F. Black Firearms Award and the Physical Training Award. In 1999, DaSilva was assigned to the Record Room of the Newark Jail, where he worked closely with the courts and other law enforcement agencies, and was a member of the Cell Extraction Team. In 2002, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and became the day shift supervisor of the Record Room. Beginning in late 2003, DaSilva lead the effort to organize the Record Room at Doremus Avenue facility and was responsible for transferring thousands of inmate files to the new jail. In 2006, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and became a Shift Commander responsible for the overall operations of the entire facility in 2010.

 

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A native of Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood, he graduated from East Side High School, received the Garden State Distinguished Scholarship Award and earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Montclair State University.

Peter Janiec: 2013 Corrections Officer of the Year

Officer Janiec is being honored as the Officer of the Year Award for 2013 for his ongoing dedication, commitment and commendable performance on the job. He was also recognized as the Essex County Corrections Officer of the Year by the New Jersey County Jail Wardens Association at its annual training conference in Atlantic City last month.

 

He joined the Essex County Department of Corrections in 2008 and began his custody career with the Security Threat Group focused on overseeing inmates who are members of the Crips street gang. In 2009, he received the Essex County Executive’s Teamwork Award for distinguishing himself through his attitude and commitment to duty. Janiec currently services in a maximum custody area in which the most dangerous inmates are housed because of his ability to maintain order and control of his area of responsibility.

Janiec graduated from the Essex County College Police Academy in 2009, at which time he received a Merit Award and served as a member of the Academy Color Guard and EMT. A Clifton native who loves baseball, he now lives in Bloomfield and is engaged to be married.

Vierginia St. Phard-Dudley: 2013 Civilian of the Year

Vierginia St. Phard-Dudley joined the Essex County Department of Corrections in 2007 and became head of the department’s Social Services Office in 2010. Since joining the department, she has created a women’s support group and a book club, and significantly expanded the GED program at the jail, an achievement of which she is very proud. She is the primary liaison with several external groups and organizations that serve the jail population, including Offender Aid and Restoration which provides life skills training and the PATCH program to keep inmates connected with their children.

St. Phard-Dudley, a newlywed, is a Newark native who was raised in Irvington and now resides in West Orange with her husband, Corrections Officer Robert Dudley, Jr., and her 7-year-old son Isaiah. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from William Paterson University and is currently enrolled in the Rutgers Addiction Certificate Program. She was raised by her mother, an immigrant from Haiti, and is the first person in her family to graduate high school and seek further education.

DaSilva, Janiec and St. Phard-Dudley were selected for their honors by a committee comprised of the Correctional Facility administration, union leaders and fellow corrections officers.



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