Sally Dean arrived at Wentworth Detention Centre as a trainee officer, with virtually no experience. She had previously had an induction course at Pentridge. She was not a confident officer and had no idea how to interact with the prisoners.
Time at Wentworth[]
Sally watches the way Vera Bennett talks to and treats the prisoners, and tries to do the same. As a result, Vera loves the fact that a junior officer is looking up to her. This earns her the nickname ‘Vinegarette’ by the inmates.
Sally overhears a plan for the illiterate Georgie Baxter to memorize the page of a book to prove she can read in order to get parole. Sally exposes the plan, and this annoys the prisoners who decide to retaliate. The prisoners let Sally over hear a conversation about drugs hidden inside some pottery in David Andrews classroom, leading Sally to immediately go and smash all the pottery work in an attempt to find the drugs.
Erica Davidson is furious with Sally and gives her another chance to find her own way to deal with the prisoners, but eventually Sally realises she isn't cut out to be a prison officer, at least not at Wentworth so Dean decides to resign as she had struggled with being at officer, she resigns after Vera says that Sally may not have the right personality for the job.
Before Sally leaves Wentworth for good, Judy Bryant tells Sally the women would have treated her nicer if she gave them some respect, something she clearly didn't do if she was learning from Vera.
Trivia[]
- Debra Lawrance would go on to make two more appearances on Prisoner, as a nurse, and later as inmate Daphne Graham.