[Corrections1] Roundtable: How the corrections profession was challenged in 2024 [12.11.24]

By Corrections1 Staff

The corrections profession faced a turbulent 2024, marked by persistent staffing shortages, the ongoing inmate mental health crisis and safety concerns for field officers. Despite these challenges, corrections professionals across the country have demonstrated resilience and ingenuity, implementing creative strategies to address pressing issues. In this roundtable, experts share insights on how agencies adapted to meet these challenges head-on, offering lessons for the road ahead.

From a void created by vacancies to one created by inexperience

When was the last time you had too many good candidates respond to an internal career advancement opportunity, such as "Classification Officer"? If you're like many corrections professionals, it's likely been over five years.

Between 2019 and mid-2022, corrections facilities experienced dramatic staffing reductions. A hiring slowdown, compounded by retention issues, created significant challenges as many professionals left the field. Two major factors fueled this exodus: the COVID pandemic and a shifting national attitude toward law enforcement. As a result, agencies across the country faced severe staffing voids.

To address these gaps, many agencies launched creative recruitment strategies, which began yielding results by 2024. However, with approximately 40% of staff hired within the past two years, agencies now face a new challenge: a workforce largely unprepared for specialty assignments and promotions.

This shortage of mid-career staff poses a unique problem. Mid-career professionals are essential for maintaining agency culture and handling higher-level responsibilities. Without them, agencies must increasingly rely on early-career officers, placing these new hires in roles they may not yet be ready to fill.

To bridge this gap, agencies must rethink how they prepare their newest team members for higher-level duties. One solution is introducing incremental responsibilities and providing early exposure to specialized roles.

Fortunately, the incoming generation brings strengths that are often underappreciated, such as technical savvy and strong research capabilities. These skills allow them to learn quickly when information is presented in a way that resonates with them.

Take the example of a vacant "Classification Officer" position. What's stopping your agency from incorporating classification duties into initial training programs? New officers could spend scheduled duty time in the classification office, gaining early exposure to the responsibilities required for the role. This hands-on experience would better prepare them for future assignments, making the transition to more advanced roles smoother and more effective.

Until corrections agencies rebuild their rosters to include more mid-career professionals, we must focus on preparing early-career staff to take on greater responsibilities. By utilizing smaller, digestible educational segments and offering early exposure to specialized training, we can build a workforce capable of meeting today's challenges.

By strategically addressing this gap, corrections agencies can maintain resilience and operational integrity while building a stronger future.

- Zohar Zaied is a background investigator assigned to the Corrections Division at the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office in Northern California.

The need for increasing investment in corrections staff wellness programs

In recent years, wellness programs for corrections staff have emerged as a critical component of healthy correctional systems. While these programs gained popularity during the pandemic, it is clear that their importance has not diminished. In fact, in the face of ongoing challenges - such as staff shortages and heightened corrections fatigue concerns - it has become increasingly evident that corrections agencies must prioritize staff wellness with even greater urgency and investment.

Despite these growing concerns, lawmakers tasked with funding agencies may be unaware of the increased need to appropriately fund staff wellness programs, overlooking the direct link between staff support and the fulfillment of the agency's mission.

The old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" has never been more relevant to corrections. Research has shown that when agencies invest in wellness programs that support staff resilience and mental health, the results can be far-reaching and beneficial. Essentially, by investing in the wellbeing of corrections staff, agencies can directly enhance the overall functioning of the agency. Wellness programs can help reduce the strain on the system by promoting staff retention, lowering turnover and decreasing the overall cost of staffing and training new personnel. With corrections departments nationwide struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels, it is vital to provide employees with the support they need to remain in their roles long-term.

Such programs should go beyond simple stress management workshops and instead offer comprehensive strategies for combatting corrections fatigue, and promoting emotional health and resilience. The employees' experiences at the agency can either be the agency's biggest recruiting and retention assets or can very easily be their biggest liability. Allowing employees to express their needs and share their feedback can also assist agencies in procuring the right programs and resources to address their agency's unique needs.

Now, more than ever, it is imperative for correctional agencies to recognize the direct connection between staff wellbeing and the success of the system. The time to act is now. By providing high-quality comprehensive wellness programs, agencies will not only improve the quality of life for their staff but also contribute to the long-term effectiveness and safety of correctional agencies. When wellness programs are properly applied, the return on investment is clear: Healthier staff, reduced turnover, improved morale and safer environments for both employees and those with whom they are working directly. The well-being of corrections staff is not a luxury - it is a necessity for the future of corrections.

- Caterina Spinaris, PhD, LPC, is the founding director of Desert Waters Correctional Outreach (DWCO), and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado. Stephanie Rawlings, MSc, works at Desert Waters Correctional Outreach (DWCO).

3 challenges to address in 2025

As in every year, the corrections profession was faced with challenges, and we have endured. Often, we find that the more we solve problems, the quicker new ones appear before us.

Transition focus from recruiting to retention:

Many agencies seem to have developed a robust recruitment effort, and we are now actively working to attract the applicants that we need to fill our positions, but officer retention still needs to be addressed. It is critical to retain staff who have the experience, knowledge and drive to help our agencies succeed. We need to take time and invest in the staff that we have on hand now. Sign-on bonuses and other perks to bring people in do not generally extend to our loyal staff holding the line today. We cannot afford to treat our officers as a stop-gap any longer. As we move into the New Year we have an opportunity to identify and correct training shortfalls and get to know the ambitions of our staff to help empower them to develop professionally.

Change outdated policies: This year our agencies have endlessly grappled with addressing how we do things day to day, compared to how they are supposed to be done as written in our policies. We should take time as we look forward to 2025 and carefully review our policies to identify and strengthen any areas that have opened up the agency to liability. Closing this gap can streamline operations and eliminate confusion for the staff and supervision making decisions on how to manage their inmate population or offender caseload. The new year presents a great opportunity to "start fresh" with needed updates and a commitment to keeping up with the changes.

Boosting staff confidence: While addressing the challenge of recruiting, agencies also have been presented with a confidence problem. This naturally falls in line with having so many new officers at one time. Though a position can be replaced quickly, it takes time and effort to grow professionally and develop the confidence that new officers need. Taking the time to talk through decision-making and explaining the "why" behind our actions can set our newest officers up for success going forward. Driving this learning jumpstarts critical thinking and ensures that our staff work to give the best possible results when handling situations with room for officer discretion.

- Adam Sowden is a correctional supervisor and has worked at a local facility in Tennessee for over seven years.

A year of staffing challenges and solutions

This year continued to present numerous challenges for both adult and juvenile detention facilities, with staffing emerging as the most critical issue. Recruiting, training and retaining qualified personnel proved to be a formidable task. The shortage of skilled staff directly impacted operational efficiency and compromised the safety of both officers and inmates.

To address these persistent staffing challenges, several strategic initiatives were implemented at my agency in late 2024 to be carried into 2025. A significant focus was placed on revamping the Field Training Officer (FTO) program. This investment in training has yielded immediate positive results. New hires enter the organization eager to contribute, but a poor FTO experience can quickly erode motivation and set them up for failure. By providing a robust training program, we equip new hires with the essential skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. Additionally, staff members who are unable to adapt to the rigorous training program may be removed, ensuring that the organization's resources are not wasted on individuals who are not a good fit.

In addition to training enhancements, our recruitment efforts were revitalized through a combination of social media campaigns and grassroots outreach. This two-pronged approach allowed us to attract top-tier talent, rather than simply relying on available candidates. By creating a more focused and supportive work environment, we prioritize employee wellbeing, leading to increased morale, job satisfaction and improved performance.

In conclusion, the staffing challenges encountered in 2024 highlight the urgent need for proactive solutions. By prioritizing training and recruitment strategies, correctional facilities can effectively address these issues and cultivate a strong, dedicated workforce. Investing in staff development and fostering a positive work environment enhances operational efficiency and ensures the safety and wellbeing of both staff and inmates.

- Lieutenant VaSharn Simmons serves as the Operations Commander at the DeSoto County Juvenile Detention Center in Hernando, Mississippi.

Today's mental health warehouses

When reflecting on 2024 and identifying the most significant challenge to corrections and the criminal justice system, one is continually confronted with the stark realities of a mental health care crisis in this country.

County jails have become society's default resource for managing the mental health challenges of its citizens. As more communities, counties, and jurisdictions close locally operated mental health centers and treatment facilities, law enforcement is left to address public mental health crises through arrests and the placement of individuals causing civil disruptions into facilities designed to ensure public safety and security. Jails have become the "de facto" warehouse for temporarily containing and removing this vulnerable population from public view. This current approach is, in essence, the least efficient, least clinically beneficial, and most costly paradigm imaginable.

Jails have embraced this "community safety" service challenge, often out of necessity rather than choice. While not licensed, trained, or prepared to take on such a monumental responsibility, they adopt a mindset of implementing in-facility mental health care centers, effectively serving as hubs for community mental health assessment and treatment.

Jails identify individuals with mental health challenges, protect and care for the most vulnerable, and attempt to initiate diagnosis, stabilization, and treatment efforts for those incarcerated. This additional responsibility often throws facility operations and inmate security management into chaos. Yet, jails continue to respond daily, without fail and without sufficient guidance, to the immense needs confronting them. Resources are limited; the needs are overwhelming.

The criminal justice and judicial systems must take immediate responsibility for altering the trajectory of community mental health treatment. They must recognize those in need and provide community-based diagnosis and treatment resources for individuals, families, and every jail in their jurisdiction.

This issue represents the iceberg that corrections facilities and jails across the United States must navigate to avoid disaster.

- Craig Gottschalk is an assistant ombudsman for the Nebraska Ombudsman Office.

Prioritizing field visit safety in community corrections

The biggest challenges in 2024 within the field of community corrections, probation and parole undoubtedly center around safety training. As a staunch advocate for safety training, I strive to attend as many conferences as possible to provide firsthand knowledge from my 19 years of service. A recurring and critical issue I've observed this year is the lack of comprehensive training in field visit safety.

Field visits present significant risks due to the unpredictable nature of the individuals officers supervise. Visiting homes or other high-risk locations can expose officers to violence, weapons, or hostile individuals in the offender's social network. These risks are particularly acute when dealing with individuals with histories of violence, sex offenses, or substance abuse.

Tragically, this year, a Maryland parole and probation agent was killed during a home visit to a sex offender. The officer, who was alone and unarmed, suffered fatal head and neck injuries during the visit. In response, the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation (DPP) implemented several changes aimed at improving safety and preventing future tragedies:

• New 40-hour safety training: A comprehensive program to better equip officers.
• Alert flags: Added to case databases for parolees with violent histories.
• Improved case staffing: Enhanced strategies for managing high-risk cases.
• Stress call communication system: Implemented to allow officers to signal for immediate help.
• Equipment assessment: Evaluated and upgraded safety equipment, including vests and pepper spray.
• Policy review: Conducted a thorough review of training policies, both entry-level and advanced.

In addition to these measures, the DPP took further steps, including:

• Suspending in-home visits by parole officers.
• Redeploying armed warrant apprehension officers to handle necessary home visits.
• Hosting "think tank" meetings with frontline agents to discuss ways to safely resume home visits.

These proactive changes aim to protect officers in Maryland and serve as a guide for other state agencies. However, safety improvements should not rely solely on reactive measures - waiting for tragedies to spur action. A proactive approach anticipates potential dangers and addresses them before they escalate. This mindset is critical in community corrections, where the stakes are inherently high.

Safety training must remain a top priority, constantly reviewed and enhanced to adapt to the ever-changing dynamics of the job. Officers must evolve with the challenges they face, ensuring their skills and tools meet the demands of their work. By embracing continuous improvement in safety training, we can save lives and protect those who dedicate their careers to community corrections, probation and parole.

- Leandro "Leo" Perez, Jr. is a supervisor for the Hidalgo County (Texas) Community Supervision and Corrections Department.

The need to prioritize nutrition

Access to healthy foods is vital, as it directly impacts your physical health, mental wellbeing and overall quality of life. People in correctional facilities often have limited access to healthy foods and we're proud to be a bridge between healthy food options and those in our custody by bringing a plant-based culinary training program to Rikers Island. thanks to a $100,000 grant.

Many people who enter our custody have underlying health conditions, including lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, a weakened immune system and so much more.

In addition, providing nutritious meals demonstrates a commitment to the wellbeing of people in our care. Here at the NYC Department of Correction, our goal is to prepare individuals for reintegration back into society. Offering healthy foods equips individuals with the knowledge and habits necessary to maintain a better lifestyle upon release. It sends a message that their health and wellbeing are valued, especially while they're in our custody.

Ultimately, access to healthy foods in correctional facilities is not just a health issue but also a social justice concern. Many people in our custody come from marginalized communities where access to nutritious food was already limited. By prioritizing nutrition within our jails, we take a step toward giving all individuals - regardless of their circumstances - the opportunity to live healthier lives.

- NYC Department of Correction

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