On April 26, 2004, Julie Hamilton walked through the doors of the Bradshaw State Jail to begin her new job as a correctional officer. Now, she’s the assistant warden.

“I think the culture here is very good,” Julie says. “Everybody’s happy. If people come to work, you have to be serious, but you also have to enjoy your job also. And I think we have that here at Bradshaw.”

Throughout her career with MTC, Julie has had lots of opportunities for growth and advancement.

“With MTC, I’m a prime example, there’s room for advancement if you want to and promotions,” Julie explains. “Once you get your first two years in, just make sergeant and as high as you want to go, it’s available. We have plenty of facilities if you would like to move around. They take care of their people. This is like my second family.”

In her almost 20 years of working in corrections, Julie has also had a chance to change the lives of many residents.

“If they need something, I try to help them out when I can,” she says. “If they ask about policies or how they can do something – sometimes they want somebody to talk to.”

“It’s helped me,” she continues. “When you first get in [corrections], when you work at a unit that has a program or treatment, and I got a lot of that when I was at East Texas, they have a lot of programs and treatment, and you can actually see that it makes a difference in some of the inmate’s lives.”

Julie works hard to make sure Bradshaw is a staple in the local community and has a positive impact on its residents. Whether it be attending the local agriculture show or participating in a food drive, Julie finds that any new staff will instantly feel part of the community.

“We just help where we can,” she says.