“It’s unsafe. It’s unpredictable. Recreation doesn’t happen regularly; things get canceled, the tension is higher, frustrations are higher.” - Tony Sines, a correctional officer and union leader in MD, discussing increasingly dangerous prison conditions due to understaffing. https://bit.ly/49mAgqn

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and January is National Radon Action Month. While homes and public buildings have been tested for decades, prisons often are not – putting people who work and live in decaying facilities at serious health risk.

Nearly every person in California’s prison system has documented medical or mental health needs, but many are going untreated. Despite billions in funding, vacancies in prison and state hospital health care have increased. https://bit.ly/4rteokH

States struggling with staffing shortages and lockdowns, like MD and WI, have seen a rise in deaths. According to @afscme.bsky.social, understaffing is fueling burnout for officers and contributing to some incarcerated people being moved into less-controlled settings. https://bit.ly/4aa8gqv

A 2024 report by a consultant for the VA DOC found that many prisons were “dangerously understaffed,” including three prisons that were under 50% staffing at the time. Understaffing creates unsafe conditions for both corrections professionals and incarcerated people. https://bit.ly/4qEaoxE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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

Tennessee has reduced job vacancies in its correctional facilities, but staffing shortages remain high, with 460 positions still unfilled. It’s a challenge facing not just Tennessee, but states across the country. https://bit.ly/3VZcMBl

Indiana's prison population is nearing capacity, and overcrowding creates unsafe environments for people who live and work in prisons. As prison populations have risen over the past 5 years, the number of corrections professionals employed in state prisons has fallen 20%. https://bit.ly/4ocOakI

Alabama has struggled with prison overcrowding for decades, and it’s set to worsen. New laws could push the number of incarcerated people up by nearly a third by 2030, straining public budgets and exacerbating understaffing. https://bit.ly/4nA3mZb

A new documentary focuses on correctional professionals and reveals how the work impacts their physical and mental health. Hear first-hand accounts that call for wellness programs dedicated to supporting corrections professionals. https://bit.ly/4nwACR6

Six months after the prison strike in New York ended, staffing shortages at New York prisons have worsened and 3,000 National Guard members are still required to supplement officers. https://bit.ly/42bELkR

West Virginia’s jails and prisons remain dangerously understaffed and overcrowded. The crisis has consequences for everyone – staff, incarcerated people, and communities. https://bit.ly/46mlz6m

Corrections professionals die by suicide at rates significantly higher than the general public. “Improving access to mental health resources and destigmatizing the need for help are essential.” - AFGE District 7 VP Jason Anderson https://bit.ly/4pKrsC5

“Forcing federal correctional officers to show up for work during a government shutdown without pay isn’t just unfair – it is reckless, and it puts lives at risk.” - Jon Zumkehr, president of AFGE Local 4070 for @thehill.com https://bit.ly/48IQStC

Corrections leaders are sounding the alarm: VT’s prisons are dangerously understaffed. Corrections professionals are working exhausting hours, and incarcerated people are losing recreation time and visits. The staffing shortage is creating a crisis that puts everyone at risk. https://bit.ly/4mIMCO7

Clarion County is paying the price for Pennsylvania’s prison staffing crisis. The county is spending $75 per person every day to house 23 people in another jail. Understaffing drains budgets, endangers correctional officers, and destabilizes families. https://tinyurl.com/358vye2b

The same day a violent incident at Fishkill Correctional Facility left corrections professionals and incarcerated people injured, New York’s prison watchdog group reported that staffing levels statewide have dropped nearly a third. Fewer staff means more danger for everyone. https://bit.ly/4nV5Dhe

Despite persistent staffing shortages across the state, Vermont’s prison population has grown by 300 in just two years – and the state now incarcerates more women than it has beds at its lone women’s prison. https://bit.ly/4pNBT7V

“Correctional officers are dying. Their families are grieving. And the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces. We are done with empty promises. We need action — and we need it now.” - Jon Zumkehr, president of AFGE Local 4070, a union representing correctional officers. tinyurl.com/y5hw6x42

Advocates warn that the response to severe understaffing in Maryland prisons has been devastating, with people often confined to their cells for up to 23 hours a day. These “constant and indefinite lockdowns” raise urgent concerns for health, dignity, and safety.

“You simply can't operate a safe facility with that many staff positions left vacant. Supervision checks are left undone; staff don't want to intervene in incidents because there is no backup; & lockdowns are more frequent because staff are not available to take people to programs.” - Michele Deitch

As prison leaders look for ways to take advantage of AI technology, there are concerns that it could divert focus away from long-standing issues like understaffing. "OK's correctional staffing levels dropped 7.6% from June 2021 to 2025, according to docs presented to the Board of Corrections."

“We want people to heal and grow and have a good life and serve their community well.” - Scott Semple, Retired Commissioner of the Connecticut DoC Prisons are not just meant to punish, they’re also meant to rehabilitate and prioritizing health is one way of making a huge positive impact.

Brian Dawe of campaign partners One Voice United shares how extreme temperatures in prisons increases the risk of violence and creates “a miserable set of conditions." This comes as Kentucky prisons are operating with outdated AC systems while experiencing 100 degree weather.

With extreme heat severely impacting incarcerated people and staff, 40 lawmakers have composed a letter to Federal Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall, hoping to learn how facilities will ensure safety for all.

Prisons are in crisis—and it impacts us all. We need safer conditions, better training, more staff, and less unnecessary over-incarceration. Show your support by subscribing to our newsletter: https://saferprisonssafercommunities.org/