(Cheyenne, WY) – Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC) Director Daniel Shannon has announced the WDOC Officer and Employee of the Year and extends his congratulations to “two of our finest.”
Sergeant Kyler Copsey from the Wyoming Women’s Center was selected as the Officer of the Year and Field Service Agent Darren Pursel from the Laramie Field Office was selected as Employee of the Year for 2021.
Sergeant Copsey distinguished himself as the selected candidate from the Wyoming Women’s Center (WWC). Sgt. Copsey functions as the Administrative as well as Security Threat Group Sgt.
Throughout the past year, the Covid-19 pandemic caused sever challenges for the facility.
These challenges ranged from staffing, daily operations and training issues. Sgt. Copsey distinguished himself as a team leader who took the challenges on and worked to find solutions which improved the efficiency of both the facility laundry and supply operations.
Sgt. Copsey developed and implemented changes in the supply department which reduced the amount of time spent conducting inventories, improved accountability and established a more accurate audit.
Sgt. Copsey also implemented and trained the staff in this new process. Efforts like this not only saved the department financially, but it demonstrated his professional growth and development as a problem solving leader and highly effective instructor.
During the period Sgt. Copsey also regularly taught in the hands on portion of the remote academy and during onboarding of new staff. He teaches In-Service Training and also Defensive Tactics (Krav Maga).
Sgt. Copsey has also remained an active member of the core group of instructors at
WWC and through his efforts he demonstrates his ability to engage the students in their learning experience.
Beyond staff, Sgt. Copsey has also developed a program to introduce inmates to the
technological changes of society that have emerged during their incarceration and this course better prepares inmates for their release.
Field Agent Darren Pursel distinguished himself by pursing and achieving a trainer and
leadership role in his office and District. Agent Pursel regularly assists new staff with not only training, but covering work and caseloads of his own and those of his co-workers in other offices when vacancies require.
Agent Pursel volunteered to continue to supervise a specific caseload in the Rawlins office until the new Agent was trained in the specific assessments required for that caseload.
In addition, Agent Pursel not only helped the new Agent hired in the Laramie office but also trained and assisted the new support staff hired in the office. Agent Pursel is an excellent leader in District Two and has been exceptionally helpful in assisting new staff while continuing to manage his own demanding caseload.
Agent Pursel top priorities with each of his clients is to help them be successful on supervision and make life changes necessary to live productive crime free lives.
Agent Pursels ability to work with contract community treatment partners in Laramie has also been extra commendable.
As there have been mergers and acquisitions during this period among Substance Use Disorder treatment providers, Agent Pursel worked diligently to ensure the requisite
monthly treatment meetings happen maintaining the collaboration between WDOC, the clients and the vendors.
In so doing Agent Pursel brings the necessary balance to the WDOC mission of offender rehabilitation and community safety.