New Approaches in Supporting Burnt-Out Corrections Staff

By Dean Williams and Nick Liantzakis

The corrections industry is characterized by statistics—whether about recidivism, overcrowding, or, a primary concern and the subject of this article, turnover in staffing. Turnover is a concern throughout the entire facility, whether that’s nursing staff, program staff, or corrections officers. The numbers don’t lie: Recent surveys of the Correctional Leaders Association report corrections officer turnover rates in the 20-30% range annually, and nearly 50% of officers leave their jobs before five years. For comparison, construction and manufacturing jobs typically report just 10% annual employee turnover. There’s no mystery why: COs have the most direct exposure to the incarcerated population, and the work can be extremely psychologically and physically challenging.

Through our collective decades in both leadership and frontline roles in the corrections industry—Dean’s experience in Colorado and Alaska Departments of Corrections, Nick’s in Canadian corrections facilities—we’ve learned some hard-fought lessons in what works, what’s possible, and what approaches in corrections are just plain wrong. One thing we can agree on: facilities where safety is at risk, where staff and incarcerated people alike exist in a culture of fear and danger, are inherently dysfunctional. Those environments set everyone up for failure.

Technology, however, when deployed correctly, can flip that script. Instead of developing yet another headcount protocol or accepting that volatility is just the “nature of the job,” we’ve found that applications of technology in the right place, with the right training and education, and at the right time can genuinely improve safety outcomes for all. Improving the safety conditions in facilities leads to generally better working conditions and culture shift—and maybe even lower rates of staff turnover.

Corrections Technology and Life Safety Practices

Technology and life-safety practices in corrections facilities run the gamut from security cameras to the physical presence of corrections officers to lockdown procedures. Their goals are the same—maintain order, promote safety, deter or end conflict—but they have limitations. For example, while hand-counting incarcerated individuals provides an opportunity for COs to check in on the safety and wellness of the inmate population, these hand-counts can be time-consuming, inefficient, and, frankly, degrading to staff and inmates alike when attempting to develop a “normalized environment”. Gaps in coverage and security can be exploited. And treating all inmates, regardless of good behavior, the same, and expending the same amount of resources and energy for everyone, even when individuals exhibit positive behavior, is a mental and physical drain on all staff.

These generalized practices can also perpetuate unhealthy dynamics. Incarcerated people will see no benefit in exhibiting “good” or positive behavior if the treatment is the same regardless of behavior. Staff continuously exist in a stressful, challenging work environment. So, what’s the solution?

Using Technology to Turn Down the Volatility and Address Safety Concerns

Physical safety of staffers and inmates is of the utmost concern, and in unpredictable or challenging environments, tensions can run high. Staff may be concerned about being physically assaulted, and may also be concerned about their efforts to de-escalate situations being misconstrued. This can worsen adversarial relationships between incarcerated populations and COs.

Harkening back to the dynamic described above—with no or low incentive for the incarcerated population to behave well, and no standardized ability for COs to adjust approaches to discipline or reward, unhealthy patterns are perpetuated. The right technology can change that.

Monitoring on an individual basis through systems like Actall’s Real-Time Locating System, rather than creating blanket punishment-and-reward approaches for all inmates, means that inmates are incentivized to improve behavior. Rewards for that improved behavior could result in monitoring with a “loose leash” approach for individuals who present with a lower risk. This can allow for inmates to self-escort to programs out of living units and access to fresh air programs with minimal direct supervision. Or, allow inmates access to daily work and education programs that can mimic life in the world outside the walls of the facility.

This RTLS technological approach can monitor and effectively maintain security and protection of the incarcerated community while significantly enhancing staff safety within the facility. Corrections officers have a better understanding of inmates, trust is built, and the volatility is dialed down. Improvements like this build that positive space don’t just help retain staff, although that is a major benefit—they can result in major culture shifts that everyone, from administrative professionals to the incarcerated population, can benefit from.

New Frontiers in Staff Safety—And Major Culture Shifts in Facilities

Coverage, monitoring, and accountability systems lead to less stress, tension, better safety outcomes, and higher staff morale. With technology systems like Actall’s, there is a sense that your back is covered and that, no matter where in the facility or what is happening, reaching out for help is fast and simple.

We’ve seen staff at facilities initially chafe at the idea of scaled-up “tracking or monitoring” technology, but once the system is installed, the benefits in a life safety system quickly replace any concerns around being “babysat.” When it’s clear to all—COs and inmates alike—that the ability to improve safety, reduce stress and create a normalized environment, that good behavior for inmates is being noted and will be rewarded, and that violent or unsafe behavior will be quickly responded to with sanctions, the overall mindset may begin to shift. This approach will also allow staff to feel in control and be empowered when dealing with inmate behaviors, supported by their supervisors in decision making outcomes—whether that’s enforcement of sanctions in cases of negative behavior, or being armed with behavioral data to support an inmate moving from a higher-security environment to a more moderate one.

Culture shift can look like a lot of things, depending on the facility. For example, better relationships can arise between all corrections staff or administrative professionals and those in their care. Or, maybe the shift in behavior change exhibited by inmates’—behaviors that can also lead to better outcomes outside the walls of a correctional facility. And overall, the culture shift can reduce stress, tension and create more positivity in the workplace, leading to better staff morale and improved staff retention. Suddenly, corrections officers aren’t going into battle against an “unruly” population of incarcerated individuals; instead, staff take an active, hands-on “case management” role, building positive relationships with inmates, improving day-to-day interactions, and helping inmates to develop positive, prosocial behaviors. This is what a career in corrections can be: positive workplace interactions, a normalized environment, and staff who look forward to coming to work.

Future articles will explore the huge downstream benefits for individuals, families, and communities when the corrections environment shifts from a culture of punishment to one of rehabilitation.