Amid ‘Catastrophic’ Shortage, Psychologists Flee Federal Prisons in Droves With fewer and fewer employees to run the prisons, psychologists were repeatedly forced to act as guards.

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

Nevada prison system OT continues to spiral; officers criticize state leaders - The Nevada Independent Leaders from Nevada's correctional officers union bemoaned the prison system's widespread staffing shortages and worsening overtime payouts, pointing fingers at everyone from the governor's office to ...

"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

Correction ombuds details 'institutional failure' in CT prisons report The 2025 Conditions of Confinement report examined several aspects of prison life, from food service to technology to medical care.

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

NH Prison System Still Plagued by Staffing Shortage: Business NH Magazine Vacancy rate for corrections officers at 47%

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

Bureau Of Prisons Continues To Have Issues With Medical Care: OIG The Federal Bureau of Prisons has a poor track record of medical care. A recent OIG report details the cruel treatment of one inmate that led to his early death.

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

NC prisons face ‘dire’ staffing crisis Years of vacancies, low pay and high turnover have eroded staffing levels, disrupting operations and raising safety concerns.

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

When Temps Plunge, Dilapidated Jails and Prisons Put Lives at Risk Aging infrastructure is a major challenge when it comes to extreme weather in prisons, jails and detention facilities in the U.S.

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

Report Lays Out Causes, Effects of Bureau of Prisons Understaffing Non-competitive pay and difficult working conditions are main causes of longstanding understaffing at the Bureau of Prisons, a Congressional Research

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

To end NC's prison crisis, pay corrections officers fairly NC prisons are truly in crisis, and have been for some time. Some prisons have correctional officer vacancies over 50%.

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

Police union backs federal bill aimed at preventing corrections officer suicide The proposed legislation would fund mental health screenings and referrals for corrections officers at the federal, state and local levels

“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 York's prison strike has $1 billion tab – and climbing Gov. Hochul proposes another $535 million to keep National Guard in state prisons amid staffing shortage.

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

Prison staffing hits highest level in years, but state struggles to keep new officers • South Dakota Searchlight The South Dakota Department of Corrections aims to cut its turnover rate by 12% in the next year by focusing on help for new recruits.

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

Violence, 16-hour days and no support: Why staff say they’re fleeing Colorado’s juvenile detention centers The Division of Youth Services, which oversees the state’s 12 detention and commitment facilities, employs more than 1,000 employees. Nearly 500 additional jobs remain vacant.

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

Sign @famm.org’s petition to let policymakers know that it is important to address the rise of lockdowns. act.famm.org/a/lockdown-c...

'Recurring failures' in CT prison system threaten health, safety of inmates and staff, report says The shortcomings affect staff as well as inmates, the state ombudsman said in the report.

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 temporarily lose power in winter storm - Mississippi Today The winter storm that pushed through the state Saturday and Sunday temporarily knocked out power at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood.

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

N.J. prisons battling worst staffing crisis in decades. Guards say they’re in constant danger. Assaults are up. Staff are leaving. And New Jersey’s prisons are struggling to keep up.

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

Safe Inside - Workforce Trends in State Departments of Corrections Safe Inside is a national initiative that combines research and operational insight to improve working and living conditions in state correctional systems. Safe Inside focuses on trends in the correct...

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

Budget stalemate contributes to 'dire' conditions in NC prisons, agency leader says • NC Newsline NC prisons are so understaffed that they're dangerous, the head of the state prison system told state lawmakers Thursday. Low starting pay makes it hard to hire.

“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

Bipartisan bill proposes 35% pay increase for federal correctional officers The Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act aims to improve staffing, reduce burnout and enhance safety in federal prisons

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

Two Nevada rural prisons have ‘critical labor shortage,’ state determines - The Nevada Independent The Tuesday decision from the state Board of Examiners will allow Ely State Prison and Lovelock Correctional Center to bring back retired state workers to fill the vacant positions through the end of ...

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

With prisons understaffed, Stein urges pay raises for NC correctional officers North Carolina has the second lowest pay of any state for correctional officers.

“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

Maryland correctional officers warn of rising violence, staffing crisis as 2026 approaches As Maryland heads into 2026, correctional officers are raising urgent concerns about what they describe as increasingly dangerous and deteriorating conditions i

“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.

California Prison Health Care Is Still Failing: Audit Exposes Dangerous Conditions Despite Billions in Funding Job vacancies in prison and state hospital health care have grown even as California has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to fill medical and mental health positions, according to a new state audit.

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

Maryland prison killings rise to decade high amid staffing shortage Thirteen incarcerated people have been killed by other prisoners this year, state officials said, marking the highest annual total in at least a decade.

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

'Headed down a dangerous path': Va. CO warned leaders of 'unsafe' conditions months before colleague was killed A former River North Correctional Center lieutenant warned that unsafe conditions could lead to staff injuries or deaths as staffing shortages and safety lapses mounted

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

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...

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 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.

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