NEWBERRY — The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office recently awarded Shanta Samuel with the 2018 Charles Harshman Corrections Officer of the Year Award.
This award is named in honor of Charles Harshman, a former employee who worked as a sergeant in the Corrections Division (Detention Center) of the Sheriff’s Office.
“Charles, a dedicated and valued employee of this agency, as well as a former Navy Seal, was taken away from us far too soon,” said Sheriff Lee Foster.
The Charles Harshman Corrections Officer of the Year is awarded to an employee who has shown dedication, loyaltyand leadership above and beyond the call of duty. This individual must epitomize the image of a dedicated Corrections Officer and must also maintain the standards of the Office. The individual considered for this award had to have possessed the quality and quantity of work contributed by an individual that exemplifies commitment and dedication. Samuel exemplifies just those qualities.
A lifetime resident of Newberry County, Samuel, the daughter of Willie and Marynell Wilson (Newberry) and James Phillip and Barbara Samuel (Augusta, Ga.), graduated from Newberry High School in 1994. This mother of three (also grandmother of three), went on to further her education at Piedmont Technical College, Greenwood, where she received an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 2010.
After a number of years in the private sector, Samuel decided that she wanted to put her Criminal Justice degree to good use and pursue a career in law enforcement. She followed through on that decision when she went to work for the S.C. Department of Corrections as a Corrections Officer in 2010. After having worked with the S.C. Department of Corrections for a few years, Samuel made the decision to come home and continue in her career.
Samuel came to work for the Newberry County Detention Center as a Corrections Officer in 2014. She excelled from the start as an officer with the division and has received accolades as a Field Training Officer as well as being weapons certified with her unit. Samuel has done an outstanding job and handles her job with the utmost pride and professionalism.
“Shanta is an employee who has a great attitude, does a excellent job, and is a valuable asset to the agency,” said Foster. “She is a committed and dedicated employee and has the respect and admiration of her co-workers as a result. Shanta is one who can be counted on and sacrifices her time to ensure that her job is done and done correctly. You can always find Shanta working even when she’s not scheduled to be there.”