Canberra prison officer Steve Morey says he has spent most of his adult life behind bars.
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"I came from New South Wales to work at the Belconnen Remand Centre back in 2002," he said.
"I had two uncles who worked in corrections when I was younger and I started working in prisons myself when I was 17 years old."
Mr Morey, who is now an area manager at the Alexander Maconochie Centre, said he had stuck with the job because, at the end of the day, he found it incredibly rewarding.
"I get a chance to help change people's lives," he said.
"It's all about seeing people in here and working with them so they don't return. That's the kind of thing I look at."
On Friday, Mr Morey got a rare chance to show his family the work he does behind the wire as part of an ACT government initiative to celebrate National Corrections Day.
Wife Brooke Morey said she had always been proud of her husband.
"Of course, I'm very proud of him and what he has done for the community," she said.
The families of other employees working inside the prison were given a guided tour of the facility by the ACT's executive director of corrective services, Jon Peach.
Mr Peach said media coverage of the facility often missed all the good work that is being done inside the jail.
"Those who work in corrections should be extremely proud of what they do," he said.
Minister for Corrections Shane Rattenbury agreed with Mr Peach, saying it was important to single out positive work inside the prison as well.
"Corrections tends to appear in the media for the wrong reasons and it frustrates me because there is a lot of good work that is done here," he said.
ACT Corrective Services employed more than 270 prison officers and community corrections staff, with more than 100 officers hired in the last five years.
Mr Rattenbury said the family event on Friday provided an opportunity to explain the important work done at the prison.
"I am pleased that National Corrections Day gives families a chance to gain a greater understanding of the important work correctional officers and community corrections officers do behind the scenes," he said.
