Moving forward, our priorities must be clear. First, we must advocate for stronger recruitment and retention efforts. Correctional facilities across the nation are experiencing critical staffing shortages, placing undue strain on officers and increasing security risks. Competitive pay, improved benefits, and comprehensive mental health support are essential to attracting and retaining top talent in our field.  No longer should corrections be considered the ugly duckling of law enforcement or a begrudged steppingstone for LEO career advancement but rather a vital and critical necessity of the criminal justice system.      

Second, we must invest in legal-based training and professional development. The landscape of corrections is evolving, requiring officers to be well-versed in current case law. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach, as states and circuit courts differ, and requires diligent efforts on the part of administrators to promulgate defensible, legal-based training over “best practices.”   Now more than ever training programs must be protected and enhanced, not cut due to limited budgets and staffing levels. Funding should be appropriated to address current operational and policy issues officers, supervisors and administrators face, such as managing the mentally ill, transgender, gangs and other special needs groups.  Beyond  defensive tactics, first aid, report writing, and range time, soft skills must be priority topics, such as conflict management techniques, de-escalation, crisis intervention, and interpersonal communication.  With fast tracked advancements in high stress environments, leadership and mental health/self-care training is likewise imperative.  By equipping our professionals with the best possible training, we enhance safety for both staff and inmates, decrease liability, curb costly litigation, and foster a more rehabilitative environment.

Third, we must push for policies that prioritize officers. Too many of our officers have faced undue dangers stemming from inadequate staffing, outdated equipment, and lack of institutional support.  It is unfortunate when uninformed and unknowledgeable parties are given seats at the corrections table crafting national, statewide, and local policies and standards when the corrections officials responsible for enacting them are relegated to stand on the sidelines, resulting in mandates and expectations which are unnecessary, costly, unfunded, further strain limited resources, and are, in many cases, impossible to fully implement.  It is imperative that we work with legislators, policymakers and stakeholders to ensure that our workforce is protected and empowered to carry out their duties effectively.  

Lastly, we must continue to embrace smart justice initiatives. We now encourage federal officials to reevaluate national standards and compliance requirements where funding and grants have been predicated and allocated based on unnecessary and costly politically driven initiatives which undermine state laws and clearly established laws.  As federal agencies depend on local jails to address current immigration and deportation issues, related standards and contract agreements between the two must provide local law enforcement officials with the ability to abide by their own state statutes and policies, rather than adopt subjective federal requirements. Recognizing and deferring to the elected authority and autonomy of local officials will decrease liability and operational costs, enhance shared safety and security interests, and improve the working relationship and efficiency between all parties.  Correctional facilities which have been subjected to decades of Department of Justice oversight upon entering consent decree agreements and lawsuits should be reevaluated based on merit.  Perhaps federal money can be better spent providing facilities in need of resources with assistance to run constitutionally safe facilities. Other programs and initiatives, such as the most recent FCC Incarcerated People’s Communications Services 2024 Order and the ongoing DOJ federal PREA standards should also be reexamined to see how such requirements have negatively impacted corrections facilities and providing for inmates and their welfare.