Corrections officers and staff have a vested interest in creating the best possible outcomes of criminal justice reform. As legislators, policy reform activists and criminal justice reform advocates talk about reform, they must also come to be concerned about officer and staff safety, dignity, training and support.
Officers and staff have critical perspectives on important issues such as understaffing, overcrowding and officer wellness that must be included as a part of any reform conversation to bring about true change. Absent our input, our buy-in, reforms, no matter how well intended, will be much harder to implement and sustain.
Our work is to unearth common ground solutions that cut across political divides and respond to the real problems that effective and sustainable reform must address.
By building bridges and bringing together a broad range of stakeholders, we are cultivating a unified approach to the policies, programs and narratives that define criminal justice reform.
We are working to shift the conversation from one that perpetuates tension between incarcerated individuals, corrections staff and budget constraints to one that is centered on protecting the safety and interests of all who are impacted by the corrections system.