SPS has bid farewell and happy retirement to two of their Governors in Charge, Mike Hebden and David Abernethy.
Mike, GIC of HMP & YOI Grampian, joined the SPS as a Prison Officer in 1989 at HMP Peterhead. He then moved through the ranks at HMP Polmont, HMP Shotts and HMP Aberdeen, before returning to HMP Peterhead as the Deputy Governor. Having gone full circle, he was then promoted to Governor in Charge at HMP Peterhead in 2010.
As part of the Prisons Project Team, Mike was instrumental in the opening of HMP & YOI Grampian in 2014, Scotland’s first purpose-built community facing prison. He became Deputy Governor and held this role for 6 years before being promoted to Governor in Charge in 2020.
Mike worked tirelessly to ensure that North-East Prisons were part of their communities, always building relationships and making new connections to ensure this happened.
He is renowned for his humour, one-liners and story-telling and his natural ability to make people feel at ease. He is passionate about the wellbeing and development of staff, and helping others fulfil their potential. A firm believer in doing what is right, he has always striven to ensure those in our care are treated with respect and fairness.
David, GIC of HMP Edinburgh, joined the SPS as a Prison Officer in 1986 at HMP Glenochil then entered the accelerated promotion scheme in 1989. Over the course of his career, he has worked across a range of establishments and roles throughout the SPS including Glenochil, Shotts, Inverness, Low Moss, Barlinnie, SPSC and SPS HQ.
He became GIC of Edinburgh in August 2017 and today leaves as the longest serving Governor of the establishment in modern times.
People come first for David, whether that be staff, those in our care, their families or our partners. He has an uncanny ability to remember everyone's name and what’s going on in their lives and his commitment to making a difference knows no bounds. Not afraid to do things differently, David has led the way in relation to the trauma informed practice and recovery agenda that SPS is committed to today.
With a combined service of over 71 years, the SPS is losing two highly experienced, loyal and much respected colleagues. All at SPS wish them both a long and happy retirement.
