Understaffing in federal prisons has led to teachers, cooks, and psychologists filling correctional officer roles. When “there's nobody to deal with crises because we're all working correctional posts, that's a problem,” a former psychologist told @themarshallproject.org. https://bit.ly/4tiH5lc

"If we cannot ensure our own safety, we cannot effectively ensure the safety of those in our custody." - Robert Ashcraft, a union leader and sergeant at High Desert State Prison, on the dangers of overstaffing in NV prisons. Read @thenvindy.com's story for more: https://bit.ly/4m4eMV5

A recent report finds the CT prison system is operating in “sustained institutional failure” due to staffing shortages, delayed medical care, and near-constant lockdowns that cancel visits, programming – even showers. @ctmirror.org details the findings and recommendations: https://bit.ly/4bTHROj

Staffing shortages continue to strain New Hampshire’s prison system. The state has a roughly 47% vacancy rate for corrections officers, forcing mandatory overtime and fueling burnout among staff. When prisons are understaffed, safety and stability suffer for everyone involved. https://bit.ly/3P8b1Sf

Staffing shortages in prisons extend beyond correctional professionals. Medical positions are also experiencing vacancies, creating a system where delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatment, and preventable suffering are not rare exceptions but predictable outcomes. https://bit.ly/3NAaojO

Staffing shortages can heighten violence in prisons. Per @nchealthnews.bsky.social, correctional officer vacancy rates at two prisons in North Carolina were 20–28% during past violent incidents. Today, staffing levels across many prisons in the state remain dangerously low. https://bit.ly/4boGwyH

As extreme low temperatures sweep parts of the U.S., people in dilapidated prisons face an increased risk of illness and death. @themarshallproject.org examined reports of scarce food and water and interrupted access to medical care during a power outage in Mississippi. https://bit.ly/4rzQ0y6

From a new report on prison understaffing: when non-correctional staff are assigned to staff custody roles, rehabilitative programming for those incarcerated can be cancelled as staff members who operate those programs are tasked with covering correctional officer shifts. https://bit.ly/4s7OFi5

North Carolina prisons are truly in crisis, and have been for some time, reads a recent op-ed in the Carolina Journal. The consequences of officer shortages have already been felt in the state, and NC pays the second-lowest salaries for corrections officers nationwide. https://bit.ly/47jLI63

“Improving the mental health of these officers could save their lives,” read a letter from the National Fraternal Order of Police voicing support for a bill to improve mental health screening and care for corrections officers. @corrections1.bsky.social has additional info: https://bit.ly/3Oq7jTL

The AL DOC was ordered in 2014 to increase staffing as part of a lawsuit seeking better mental health and medical care for incarcerated people. @al.com covers the recent record number of correctional officers added to the force, but the state is still short of the goal. https://bit.ly/4aMcTZk

New from @gothamist.com: Around 3,000 National Guard troops remain in 34 NY prisons as part of an emergency measure taken to fill staffing positions during a strike last year. This ongoing deployment has now cost the state more than $1 billion. https://bit.ly/3NJX5Nv

Security staff turnover in South Dakota prisons has nearly doubled since 2020, from 17% to 33%, as recent hires often quit within their first six months. @southdakotasearchlight.com covers how the state aims to cut its turnover rate by 12 percentage points in the next year. https://bit.ly/4s9cPZp

Staffing shortages in CO prisons continue to limit access to essential services. A report from @ccjrc.bsky.social found that medical, dental, mental health care, and education and treatment programs are falling behind – and corrections professionals are also feeling strained. https://bit.ly/4qzNese

During prison lockdowns, people lose access to visitation, recreation, education, therapy, religious services, showers, and legal resources. CT prisons have been heavily relying on lockdowns as a stopgap for staffing shortages. Read the @ctinsider.bsky.social story for more. bit.ly/4qZz97q

Two Mississippi prisons recently temporarily lost power amid freezing temps from a winter storm, @mississippitoday.org reports. With too few staff, prisons often struggle to address temperature complaints, manage failing HVAC systems, or supply blankets and winter clothing. https://bit.ly/4qMpZdS

Staffing shortages and mandatory overtime are straining officers and facilities in NJ – and across the country. “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen in 35 years,” Andy Potter, Founder and Executive Director of SPSC campaign partner One Voice United told @nj.com. https://bit.ly/4bDGpRS

New data from the Safe Inside Project shows that many state prisons are now less safe and more expensive to run than they were five years ago. Chronic understaffing is also driving violence, burnout, and instability across corrections systems nationwide. Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4rzCKsS

“Our [prison] staffing situation is dire and it’s dangerous. Dangerous to my staff, dangerous to the people in my custody, and dangerous to the people of North Carolina.” - Leslie Cooley Dismukes, secretary of the state Department of Adult Correction via @ncnewsline.com. https://bit.ly/4qB7Pwa

Despite facing comparable risks, federal correctional officers earn significantly less than other federal law enforcement personnel. A newly introduced bipartisan bill aims to close that gap with a 35% pay increase. Read more: @corrections1.bsky.social. https://bit.ly/4kc5ndj

Chronic understaffing at Nevada prisons isn’t just a personnel issue – it’s a budget and health care problem. Staffing shortages caused a $53M state deficit last year and forced two rural facilities to outsource their medical care, @thenvindy.com reports. https://bit.ly/4c7tuHV

“Nobody wants to face violence or burnout in their work day, and correctional officers are no different." - NC Gov. Josh Stein on the state's prison staffing crisis in @charlotteobserver.com. Addressing pay and staffing is essential to safer prisons and communities. https://bit.ly/3ZJYdmX

“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