Corrections_Today_Fall_2025_Vol.87_No.3

COMMITTEES

Over the course of just a few days, we witnessed the brutal reality of life inside a deeply over crowded, under-resourced prison — where basic human needs like sunlight, nutrition, safety, and dig nity are luxuries, not guarantees. We saw the resilience of people surviving in impossible condi tions, the quiet moments of shared humanity, and the urgent, grinding work required to simply offer basic healthcare — work carried out not by governments, but in collabora tion with organizations like Health through Walls. This trip made one thing pain fully clear: when international aid programs are gutted, it’s not bureau crats or budgets that suffer — it’s

real people. It’s the teenager locked away in fear. It’s the amputee left hopping on one leg. It’s the men and women who, for the first time in years, step into the sunlight to be screened for deadly treatable diseases, only to find hope slipping away again. Maybe there’s a sliver of an argument that organizations like Health through Walls create a “good enough” patchwork that discourages governments from fixing their own broken systems. But the truth is undeniable: these problems existed long before we arrived. And strip ping away humanitarian support, hoping someone else will step in, is reckless at best and catastrophic at worst. When the cost of being

wrong is human lives, betting on hope alone is not just naïve — it’s unforgivable. What we can say for certain is this: organizations like Health through Walls are desperately in need of new funding. Without it, their missions will wither, and the communities they serve will be abandoned to even deeper suffer ing. Personal contributions are always welcome, but what’s urgently needed now is the power of influ ence — people who can connect resources, secure grants, and help sustain the lifeline these organiza tions represent. CT

Justin Sterett is a Physician, photographer and writer based out of Alaska.

Setting a NEW Standard in Jails! American Correctional Association

• Enhance professionalism • Improve conditions of confinement • Enhance operations • Improve public credibility • Increase morale

Accreditation: Excellence in Jails “The ACA accreditation process is a mechanism of checks and balances, and causes correctional systems to assess all facets of their organization. When we take a critical examination of our organizational processes, it offers an opportunity for internal oversight. Correctional systems can identify challenges, discover solutions and implement operational best practices which will significantly improve organizational efficiencies.”

–Tony Wilkes, Chief of Corrections, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (TN)

American Correctional Association Standards and Accreditation Department

Phone: (800) 222-5646 Email: davidh@aca.org • Web: www.aca.org

Fall 2025 | Corrections Today

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