Policy, Advocacy and Innovation

Apart from those incarcerated, corrections officers and professional staff spend more time inside correctional facilities than anyone else. They play a critical role in safety, security, and rehabilitation, and continue to serve an important function in supervision after release through parole and probation. They understand what works, what does not, and what is at stake every day.

Yet their voices are often missing when policies are written and reforms or new laws are proposed.

At One Voice United, we work to change that.

Workforce Sustainability – Advancing policies and practices that support recruitment, retention, and the long term well being of corrections professionals and their families
Technology and Innovation – Engaging in national conversations on AI and emerging tools to ensure thoughtful implementation with clear guardrails and staff involvement
Oversight and Accountability – Providing input and sharing information on structures and oversight models to ensure they are independent, effective, and grounded in operational reality
Safety and Operational Policy – Addressing issues such as contraband and drone activity, workplace conditions, and policies that directly impact staff safety and facility operations
Research and Evaluation – Partnering with agencies and researchers to test, evaluate, and refine ideas, ensuring reforms are informed by data, lived experience, and what actually works in practice
Education and Rehabilitation – Supporting balanced approaches that recognize the value and role staff training, programming and education have in maintaining safer, more stable environments
Legislative Engagement – Working with policymakers and partners to ensure workforce perspectives are included in state and national policy discussions.

Learn more about our advocacy initiatives here.

Wellness Works

Policy, Advocacy and Innovation

Corrections professionals do demanding work that impacts their health, families, and long term well-being. Wellness Works is One Voice United's framework for addressing those realities in a way that is practical, credible, and shaped by staff experiences

Visit Before You Vote

Policy, Advocacy and Innovation

Visit Before You Vote is a national campaign created to educate and engage decision makers on the realities of corrections before they make sweeping changes to policy or vote on funding decisions.

Safer Prisons, Safer Communities

Policy, Advocacy and Innovation

One Voice United (OVU) and FAMM, respectively, two of the leading organizations representing correctional staff and incarcerated people and their families, have joined together in a new campaign for safer prisons.

Changing the Dynamic: A journey of exploration between the Norwegian and American prison systems

Policy, Advocacy and Innovation

OVU led the first-ever delegation of correctional staff union members and labor leaders on a journey to Norway to reimagine the concept of incarceration in the U.S. and determine what, if any, Norwegian concepts or ideas could be used or implemented back home.

The Dignity Assaults Initiative Implementation within the Michigan Corrections Organization

Policy, Advocacy and Innovation

The intent of this report is to present analyses to assist stakeholders in managing this contracting sector of the economy. The context is Michigan, however many conclusions can be broadly generalized to other states.