Safer Prisons. Safer Communities.
@saferprisonssafercommunities.org
Raising awareness and addressing the interconnected crises of understaffing, overcrowding, and poor conditions in our nation’s prisons. https://saferprisonssafercommunities.org/
Corrections professionals need wellness support as they work in a stressful and often traumatic profession. A new resource from our campaign partner One Voice United provides 10 practical principles for improving wellness for officers - from recruitment through retirement. https://bit.ly/4iqlfIa
Wellness Works: Principles For Building A Best-in-Class Correctional Staff Wellness Program | Safer Prisons Safer Communities
Developed with input from hundreds of correctional professionals, Wellness Works offers clear, actionable principles for creating best-in-class staff wellness programs, from recruitment through retire...
bit.ly
January 20, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Corrections professionals need wellness support as they work in a stressful and often traumatic profession. A new resource from our campaign partner One Voice United provides 10 practical principles for improving wellness for officers - from recruitment through retirement. https://bit.ly/4iqlfIa
Georgia’s prison population has grown steadily, even as officials warn of staffing shortages. Staff retention remains a challenge, and nearly two-thirds of officers now have less than three years on the job. Overcrowding and inexperience put everyone at risk. https://bit.ly/49aq3hV
Georgia prison population rising as staffing shortages persist, commissioner says
Commissioner Tyrone Oliver told lawmakers the state’s prison population grew to more than 50,600 offenders by September 2025, up from about 48,000 in 2023.
www.wjcl.com
January 14, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Georgia’s prison population has grown steadily, even as officials warn of staffing shortages. Staff retention remains a challenge, and nearly two-thirds of officers now have less than three years on the job. Overcrowding and inexperience put everyone at risk. https://bit.ly/49aq3hV
Nevada is spending tens of millions on overtime while prisons remain understaffed and unsafe. @thenvindy.com reports on a new staffing study which warns that without deeper reforms, adding staff won’t be enough to keep prisons safe for everyone who works and lives inside. https://bit.ly/49aN8B9
Outside study paints damning picture of staffing at Nevada prisons - The Nevada Independent
In a more than 230-page report, outside analysts uncovered a lack of supervisors on duty at night, possible lapses in compliance with federal requirements to reduce prison sexual assaults and yearslon...
bit.ly
January 13, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Nevada is spending tens of millions on overtime while prisons remain understaffed and unsafe. @thenvindy.com reports on a new staffing study which warns that without deeper reforms, adding staff won’t be enough to keep prisons safe for everyone who works and lives inside. https://bit.ly/49aN8B9
Correctional officers and advocates for incarcerated people in Virginia are finding common ground: understaffing and overcrowding are dangerous for everyone inside. https://bit.ly/4syFhFa
Prison officers blame understaffing for violence behind bars
Last month, two people were killed in state prisons – a corrections officer and an inmate. The union that represents COs says chronic staff shortages are to blame.
bit.ly
January 12, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Correctional officers and advocates for incarcerated people in Virginia are finding common ground: understaffing and overcrowding are dangerous for everyone inside. https://bit.ly/4syFhFa
Pope Leo XIV condemned overcrowding and the lack of educational and job programs, spotlighting a crisis that is also playing out in the U.S. Regardless of location, prison overcrowding has the same consequences: unsafe conditions, stalled rehabilitation, and broken systems. https://bit.ly/490GdsR
Pope criticizes prison overcrowding during special Mass for inmates, guards and families
Pope Leo XIV has criticized prison overcrowding during a special Mass for detainees, guards and their families.
apnews.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:07 PM
Pope Leo XIV condemned overcrowding and the lack of educational and job programs, spotlighting a crisis that is also playing out in the U.S. Regardless of location, prison overcrowding has the same consequences: unsafe conditions, stalled rehabilitation, and broken systems. https://bit.ly/490GdsR
Brian Koehn, CEO, Social Purpose Corrections writes for @thehill.com: When prisons are overcrowded and understaffed, every upstream failure, like untreated addiction, mental illness, and trauma, lands on correctional officers. https://bit.ly/4j3ePiv
January 8, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Brian Koehn, CEO, Social Purpose Corrections writes for @thehill.com: When prisons are overcrowded and understaffed, every upstream failure, like untreated addiction, mental illness, and trauma, lands on correctional officers. https://bit.ly/4j3ePiv
New reporting from @themarshallproject.org shows prison understaffing extends beyond correctional officers. There are shortages of nurses and mental health staff, and incarcerated people report weeks without medical attention and lapses in renewals for essential medications. https://bit.ly/3MBSHzK
Nurses Say There’s a Lack of Care at Missouri Prison, Blame Contractor
Current and former employees at Jefferson City Correctional Center say the shortage is causing unrest. They blame the state’s contractor, Centurion Health.
bit.ly
January 7, 2026 at 6:10 PM
New reporting from @themarshallproject.org shows prison understaffing extends beyond correctional officers. There are shortages of nurses and mental health staff, and incarcerated people report weeks without medical attention and lapses in renewals for essential medications. https://bit.ly/3MBSHzK
Especially during the holidays, prison understaffing keeps families apart and worsens quality of life for everyone inside. Matthew Charles of @famm.org shares his experience of spending the holidays in prison. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive #SPSC updates. https://bit.ly/4esgo5t
December 29, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Especially during the holidays, prison understaffing keeps families apart and worsens quality of life for everyone inside. Matthew Charles of @famm.org shares his experience of spending the holidays in prison. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive #SPSC updates. https://bit.ly/4esgo5t
Andy Potter, a former correctional officer and Founder and Executive Director of One Voice United, reflects on the toll mandatory overtime took on him and his family during the holidays, and how understaffing affects safety. Subscribe to our newsletter for more #SPSC updates. https://bit.ly/4esgo5t
Safer Prisons Safer Communities
Safer Prisons. Safer Communities. raises awareness to address the crises facing US prisons.
saferprisonssafercommunities.org
December 23, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Andy Potter, a former correctional officer and Founder and Executive Director of One Voice United, reflects on the toll mandatory overtime took on him and his family during the holidays, and how understaffing affects safety. Subscribe to our newsletter for more #SPSC updates. https://bit.ly/4esgo5t
Federal corrections officers are leaving for higher-paying ICE jobs, and teachers, nurses, and other staff are being forced to cover shifts. Understaffing has been linked to the deaths of at least 30 incarcerated people. Read @keribla.bsky.social's latest for @propublica.org. https://bit.ly/4at4PNa
As Federal Prisons Run Low on Food and Toilet Paper, Corrections Officers Leave in Droves for ICE
Many of the problems the agency is facing now are not new, but staff and prisoners fear an exodus of officers could make life behind bars even worse.
www.propublica.org
December 9, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Federal corrections officers are leaving for higher-paying ICE jobs, and teachers, nurses, and other staff are being forced to cover shifts. Understaffing has been linked to the deaths of at least 30 incarcerated people. Read @keribla.bsky.social's latest for @propublica.org. https://bit.ly/4at4PNa
The tragic death of officer Jeremy Hall puts a spotlight on the crisis in VA prisons: chronic understaffing, unsafe conditions, and high turnover. “The lack of staff impacts every aspect of facility operations and results in unsafe facilities," consultants wrote in 2024. https://bit.ly/4oHPImE
Union: Va. prison system ‘dangerously understaffed’ before correctional officer's death
The death of Officer Jeremy Hall at River North prison marks the first officer death by inmate since 1975 in Virginia
bit.ly
December 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
The tragic death of officer Jeremy Hall puts a spotlight on the crisis in VA prisons: chronic understaffing, unsafe conditions, and high turnover. “The lack of staff impacts every aspect of facility operations and results in unsafe facilities," consultants wrote in 2024. https://bit.ly/4oHPImE
North Carolina’s prisons are struggling to fill correctional officer positions due to burnout, low pay, and constant overtime. When prisons are short-staffed, incarcerated individuals also experience more frequent and longer lockdowns. Read more on @theassemblync.bsky.social. https://bit.ly/49zQeiK
The New Head of N.C.’s Prisons Tries to Unwind a Staffing Quagmire
Leslie Cooley Dismukes wants to prioritize reentry and reduce recidivism. But she has to solve a staffing crisis in the prison system first.
bit.ly
November 28, 2025 at 8:51 PM
North Carolina’s prisons are struggling to fill correctional officer positions due to burnout, low pay, and constant overtime. When prisons are short-staffed, incarcerated individuals also experience more frequent and longer lockdowns. Read more on @theassemblync.bsky.social. https://bit.ly/49zQeiK
Like many other states, Wisconsin’s men’s and women’s prisons are overcrowded and operating far beyond capacity. Overcrowding strains corrections professionals, keeps incarcerated people in the wrong security levels, and worsens conditions across the system. https://bit.ly/4ieXF0P
Review details problems with solitary confinement, overcrowding in Wisconsin prisons
Wisconsin's Department of Corrections paid the firm Falcon, Inc. to complete a year-long review of the prison system. The firm's report detailed issues with overcrowding and solitary confinement.
www.wpr.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Like many other states, Wisconsin’s men’s and women’s prisons are overcrowded and operating far beyond capacity. Overcrowding strains corrections professionals, keeps incarcerated people in the wrong security levels, and worsens conditions across the system. https://bit.ly/4ieXF0P
A new report finds that staffing in New York prisons has fallen over the past two decades while violence has risen. The recent firing of striking correctional officers and use of the National Guard this year have worsened an already serious staffing crisis. https://bit.ly/4r83Nw5
How much has prison staffing slumped across New York State?
A new report from the department overseeing the New York State prison system shows that as staffing has slumped over the past two decades, prison violence has been on the rise. The numbers illustra...
bit.ly
November 24, 2025 at 9:16 PM
A new report finds that staffing in New York prisons has fallen over the past two decades while violence has risen. The recent firing of striking correctional officers and use of the National Guard this year have worsened an already serious staffing crisis. https://bit.ly/4r83Nw5
NJ’s Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson on prison staffing: “Staffing shortages must be a top priority because they affect operations so profoundly.”
@jerseyvindicator.bsky.social reports on prisons going into lockdown when there aren’t enough staff to keep them running. https://bit.ly/4oE3XJI
@jerseyvindicator.bsky.social reports on prisons going into lockdown when there aren’t enough staff to keep them running. https://bit.ly/4oE3XJI
Watchdog: New Jersey prisons face deepening staffing crisis, growing humanitarian concerns • The Jersey Vindicator
It's extremely difficult for loved ones to visit prisoners.
jerseyvindicator.org
November 20, 2025 at 3:47 PM
NJ’s Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson on prison staffing: “Staffing shortages must be a top priority because they affect operations so profoundly.”
@jerseyvindicator.bsky.social reports on prisons going into lockdown when there aren’t enough staff to keep them running. https://bit.ly/4oE3XJI
@jerseyvindicator.bsky.social reports on prisons going into lockdown when there aren’t enough staff to keep them running. https://bit.ly/4oE3XJI
WI lawmakers recently announced a slate of bills aimed at improving conditions in prisons and jails. “Inhumane conditions in Wisconsin’s jails and prisons is state-sanctioned violence, and it’s being done in our name and disguised as justice.” - Rep. @darrinmadison.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4poOfT4
Bills aim to address ‘inhumane’ conditions in Wisconsin prisons and jails • Wisconsin Examiner
A package of bills to help improve certain conditions for people housed within prisons and jails statewide was introduced in Milwaukee.
bit.ly
November 19, 2025 at 8:55 PM
WI lawmakers recently announced a slate of bills aimed at improving conditions in prisons and jails. “Inhumane conditions in Wisconsin’s jails and prisons is state-sanctioned violence, and it’s being done in our name and disguised as justice.” - Rep. @darrinmadison.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4poOfT4
A bill that aims to address the corrections staffing shortage in PA has passed through the state Senate and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. The legislation will modernize hiring policies and expand recruitment opportunities. https://bit.ly/3JJJyDY
Argall bill to fight corrections officer shortage passes Senate
Legislation introduced by state Sen. Dave Argall, R-29, Rush Twp., at the request of the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association was passed by the Senate with bipartisan support to add…
www.standardspeaker.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:11 PM
A bill that aims to address the corrections staffing shortage in PA has passed through the state Senate and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. The legislation will modernize hiring policies and expand recruitment opportunities. https://bit.ly/3JJJyDY
No one should suffer in 90-degree heat without air conditioning or cold water. Across Connecticut and the country, people in prison endured those exact conditions this summer. Without urgent upgrades and real heat mitigation plans, lives and public safety are on the line. https://bit.ly/4nwIjFW
Report: Summer heat threatens health at CT prisons
The report found high indoor temperatures is risking the health of incarcerated individuals and may violate their constitutional rights.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 7:18 PM
No one should suffer in 90-degree heat without air conditioning or cold water. Across Connecticut and the country, people in prison endured those exact conditions this summer. Without urgent upgrades and real heat mitigation plans, lives and public safety are on the line. https://bit.ly/4nwIjFW
"What cannot be denied is that working in prisons is a traumatic experience because prisons are traumatic places. No one knows this better than incarcerated people who have even higher rates of trauma and mental distress." - Wanda Bertram of @prisonpolicy.org https://bit.ly/3LiLxQ2
An Unseen Epidemic: Correctional Officers Dying By Suicide - Law360
It's not news that there are problems in America's prisons, including mass incarceration and forced labor, but another crisis in those same prisons doesn't always garner the same attention: the number...
www.law360.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:49 PM
"What cannot be denied is that working in prisons is a traumatic experience because prisons are traumatic places. No one knows this better than incarcerated people who have even higher rates of trauma and mental distress." - Wanda Bertram of @prisonpolicy.org https://bit.ly/3LiLxQ2
"Recruiting people to work in jails and prisons is not easy. And when you have a situation where the pay does not equal what you have to go through, then you start to see a decline in the number of people that are on the job." - Brian Dawe, One Voice United, for @keranews.org https://bit.ly/3Wy3Xij
What we know about Tarrant County’s new strategy with a staffing company to fill vacant jail jobs
Earlier this month, there were about 180 vacant jobs in the Tarrant County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office. Understaffing can make the jail less safe for detention officers and the people inca...
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 4:22 PM
"Recruiting people to work in jails and prisons is not easy. And when you have a situation where the pay does not equal what you have to go through, then you start to see a decline in the number of people that are on the job." - Brian Dawe, One Voice United, for @keranews.org https://bit.ly/3Wy3Xij
Many prisons have little or no air conditioning leading to extreme temperatures in the summer. As temperatures rise every year, the conditions inside prisons grow more dangerous for everyone who lives and works there. It’s inhumane and unacceptable.
https://bit.ly/4qCOzyP
https://bit.ly/4qCOzyP
Inside Oregon’s oldest prison: 114-degree cells and $13M annual repairs
Oregon Department of Corrections this year floated the idea of replacing the state penitentiary, citing sweltering summer heat, an outdated design dating to the 1860s and the spiraling costs of maint...
bit.ly
November 4, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Many prisons have little or no air conditioning leading to extreme temperatures in the summer. As temperatures rise every year, the conditions inside prisons grow more dangerous for everyone who lives and works there. It’s inhumane and unacceptable.
https://bit.ly/4qCOzyP
https://bit.ly/4qCOzyP
Federal prison officers in SC are working without pay during the government shutdown. The freeze on pay comes as the department has struggled for years to fill vacancies. “We’re an agency in a staffing crisis.” - Brandy Moore White, Council of Prison Locals 33 president. https://bit.ly/48RnSA9
S.C. corrections union warns of ‘disaster upon disaster’ as BOP workers go unpaid during shutdown
Amid nearly 30 vacancies at FCI Edgefield alone, prison teachers, nurses and electricians are being pulled to cover CO shifts without compensation
bit.ly
November 3, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Federal prison officers in SC are working without pay during the government shutdown. The freeze on pay comes as the department has struggled for years to fill vacancies. “We’re an agency in a staffing crisis.” - Brandy Moore White, Council of Prison Locals 33 president. https://bit.ly/48RnSA9
Colorado prisons are nearly 98% full. “We don’t have enough staff to do all this. The stress that COs (correctional officers) go through sometimes — I don’t think management sees.” - James Carr, a corrections sergeant at Sterling Correctional Facility in Colorado. https://bit.ly/47k8J7S
Colorado’s prisons and jails are overflowing. What’s being done to address it?
Colorado activated its prison population management plan, which helps the state manage capacity when prisons are operating at more than 97% full for 30 straight days
coloradosun.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Colorado prisons are nearly 98% full. “We don’t have enough staff to do all this. The stress that COs (correctional officers) go through sometimes — I don’t think management sees.” - James Carr, a corrections sergeant at Sterling Correctional Facility in Colorado. https://bit.ly/47k8J7S
At Eastern Correctional Facility in NY, incarcerated people hear the same thing every day: “We don’t have enough staff.” Sadly, per One Voice United, many U.S. prisons operate with a ratio of 1 officer to 70+ prisoners, making rehabilitation efforts almost impossible. https://bit.ly/46M2c6Y
The New York Prison System Is Facing a Potential Disaster “Unprecedented Since Attica”
I'm serving my 16th year for manslaughter. I'm a credible witness to the ongoing understaffing issue.
bit.ly
October 29, 2025 at 4:30 PM
At Eastern Correctional Facility in NY, incarcerated people hear the same thing every day: “We don’t have enough staff.” Sadly, per One Voice United, many U.S. prisons operate with a ratio of 1 officer to 70+ prisoners, making rehabilitation efforts almost impossible. https://bit.ly/46M2c6Y
Nebraska's prisons are some of the most overcrowded in the country, per a new report from the state’s Inspector General of the Correctional System. ✍️ @erinbamer.bsky.social for @nebraskaexaminer.com https://bit.ly/476q5Gy
Nebraska ranks near top of U.S. in prison overcrowding, OIG of Corrections reports • Nebraska Examiner
Nebraska ranks near the top in prison overcrowding nationally, a state inspector general reports, but some say the numbers are more nuanced.
bit.ly
October 28, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Nebraska's prisons are some of the most overcrowded in the country, per a new report from the state’s Inspector General of the Correctional System. ✍️ @erinbamer.bsky.social for @nebraskaexaminer.com https://bit.ly/476q5Gy