Corrections_Today_January_February_2023_Vol.85_No.1

MENTALLY ILL IN PRISON p. 22

Corrections January/February 2023

Today

STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN CORRECTIONS THE CHALLENGE AND WAYS FORWARD p. 36

NEWS&VIEWS AND MORE

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American Correctional Association Corrections Today January/February 2023 Vol. 85, No. 1

Features 22

Understanding the mentally ill in prison Maryland wins award from Mental health advocacy group for its correctional crises de-escalation training By Mark Vernarelli

36 Staff recruitment and

28

retention in corrections The challenge and ways forward

By Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. and Michael Miskell, MPH, CHES ®

You are more than a number

You now have letters “credentials” By Kennard DuBose, Hannah Bonsu and Greg Mason

Cover photo illustration: Watercolor background: istock/dwiputrirats; Watercolor plant: istock/Anna Tkachenko; Mindfulness watercolor abstract image: istock/DrAfter123

2 — January/February 2023 Corrections Today

CHAPTERS AND AFFILIATES

Alabama Council on Crime and Delinquency—Albany Criminal Justice Association—Alston Wilkes Society—American Catholic Correctional Ministries—American Correctional Health Services Association—American Institute of Architects—American Jail Association—American Probation and Parole Association—Appalachian State University Student Chapter—Arizona Probation, Parole and Corrections Association—Arizona State University ACA Student Chapter—Association for Correctional Research and Information Management—Association of Correctional Food Service Affiliates— Association of Paroling Authorities International—Association of State Correctional Administrators—Association of Programs for Female Offenders—Association of Women Executives in Corrections—Bellmont High School Student Chapter—Brown Mackie College ACA Student Chapter—California Probation, Parole and Correctional Association— Caribbean Correctional Association—Champlain Valley Educational Services—Clayton State University Justice Society—Colorado Criminal Justice Association—Columbia-Greene Community College—Criminal Justice Club Student Chapter—Concordia University Sociology of Law & Justice Club—Connecticut Criminal Justice Association—Correctional Accreditation Managers Association—Correctional Association of Massachusetts—Correctional Education Association—Correctional Healthcare Providers of the United States—Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators—District of Columbia Criminal Justice Association—Eastern Kentucky University Corrections and Juvenile Justice Student Association—Family and Corrections Network—Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency—Harrison College Criminal Justice Association Student Chapter—Hawaii Criminal Justice Association—Historical Association for Corrections—Illinois Correctional Association—Indiana Criminal Justice Association—Integrated Correctional Association of the Philippines (ICAP) Inc.—International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology—International Association of Correctional Training Personnel—International Correctional Arts Network—International Corrections and Prisons Association—International Community Corrections Association—Iowa Corrections Association—Jamaica Federation of Corrections—ITT Technical Institute ACA Student Chapter—Ivy Tech Community College Terre Haute Branch ACA Student Chapter—Juvenile Justice Trainers Association—Kansas Correctional Association—Kentucky Council on

Crime and Delinquency Inc.—Louisiana Correctional Association—Martin University Student Chapter—Maryland Criminal Justice Association— Michigan Corrections Association—Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association—Minnesota Corrections Association—Missouri Corrections Association—Missouri Western University Student Chapter—Moraine Park Technical College Corrections Club—National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice—National Association of Correctional Record Administrators and Supervisors—National Association of Juvenile Correctional Agencies— National Association of Probation Executives—National Association of Adult and Juvenile State Corrections Mental Health Directors—National Correctional Industries Association Inc.—National Council on Crime and Delinquency—National Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators— National Juvenile Detention Association—National Major Gang Task Force—National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice—National Partnership for Juvenile Services—Nebraska Correctional Association— Nevada Corrections Association—New Jersey Chapter Association—New Mexico Criminal Justice Association—New York Corrections and Youth Services Association—North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents—North Carolina Correctional Association—Northern Illinois University Academic Justice Association—Ohio Correctional and Court Services Association—Oklahoma Correctional Association— Oregon Criminal Justice Association—Parole and Probation Compact Administrators Association—Pennsylvania Association of Probation, Parole and Corrections—Pierce College Criminal Justice Club—Prison Fellowship—Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Association—Richmond Community College Student Chapter—St. Augustine’s College ACA Student Chapter—Salvation Army—South Carolina Correctional Association—Southern States Correctional Association—State University of New York–Albany—Tennessee Corrections Association— Texas Corrections Association—University of Central Missouri Student Chapter—University of Illinois/Chicago Criminal Justice Society—Utah Correctional Association—Virginia Correctional Association—Volunteers of America Inc.—Washburn University ACA Student Chapter—Washington Correctional Association—Western Illinois University Corrections Club— Western Correctional Association—Westwood College Angels—Wisconsin Correctional Association—WITC New Richmond Criminal Justice Club— Wyoming Correctional Association

OFFICERS PRESIDENT

Tony C. Parker, Tennessee IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Gary C. Mohr, Ohio VICE PRESIDENT Tony M. Wilkes, Tennessee PRESIDENT-ELECT Denise M. Robinson, Ohio TREASURER Harbans S. Deol, Ph.D., Nebraska BOARD OF GOVERNORS REPRESENTATIVES Elizabeth F. “Beth” Arthur Derrick D. Schofield, Ph.D. SECRETARY James A. Gondles Jr., CAE, Virginia EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF James A. Gondles Jr., CAE MANAGING EDITOR Kirk Raymond GRAPHICS AND PRODUCTION STAFF GRAPHIC DESIGNER Carla DeCarlo COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Mary Seidel ADVERTISING AND MARKETING STAFF DIRECTOR, CONVENTIONS, ADVERTISING AND CORPORATE RELATIONS Kelli McAfee PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Mary Misisco

ARTICLE AND PHOTO SUBMISSIONS: Managing Editor, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; email submissions@aca.org. Articles must be in Microsoft Word. Please include all contact information. Unless expressly requested in writing, all photos and artwork submitted become the property of ACA and may be used in future ACA publications. Articles and photos will not be returned unless expressly requested by author.

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ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: Production coordinator, 800-222-5646 ext. 0019. Written inquiries should be mailed to 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Statements contained in Corrections Today are the personal views of the authors and do not constitute ACA policy unless so indicated. ACA does not assume responsibility for the content of Corrections Today as submitted by contributors, reserves the right to edit all articles and, if necessary, condense them. The publication of any advertisement by ACA is neither an endorsement of the advertiser nor of the products or services advertised. ACA is not responsible for any claims made in advertisements. MISSION STATEMENT: The American Correctional Association provides a professional organization for all individuals and groups, both public and private, that share a common goal of improving the justice system. Corrections Today (ISSN 0190-2563, USPS 019-640) is published six times a year in January/ February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December by the American Correctional Association, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-224-0000. Send any changes to Corrections Today, Attn: Membership Department, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. Subscriptions are included in annual membership dues. Nonmember subscription rates are $25 per year for Corrections Today ($36 value) or $6 per issue. Printed in USA. Vol. 85, No. 1. Copyright 2023 by the American Correctional Association.

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COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR Kirk Raymond

CONVENTIONS, ADVERTISING AND CORPORATE RELATIONS DIRECTOR Kelli McAfee FINANCIAL SERVICES AND HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR William Lake MEMBERSHIP AND CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTOR Roberta Gibson OFFICE OF CORRECTIONAL HEALTH DIRECTORS Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Terri L. Catlett — Director Dr. Dean Aufderheide — Director of Mental Health STANDARDS AND ACCREDITATION DIRECTOR David Haasenritter PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Dee Whitaker — Director INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACTING DIRECTOR Jeffrey Washington INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES DIRECTOR Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Director

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Corrections Today January/February 2023— 3

6 News&Views

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From Jim’s Desk

7 In Memoriam 8 Correctional Chaplain Perspectives 14 NIJ Update 18 View From the Line 49 ACA Featured Departments

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50 Welcome New Members 54 Certification List 56 2022 Index of Articles 60 Corrections Calendar

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW!

Philadelphia 153 RD CONGRESS OF CORRECTION Aug. 10–13, 2023

AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200 • Alexandria, VA 22314 • www.aca.org

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NEWS&VIEWS

F rom Jim’s De sk

A New Year

A s 2023 becomes a reality, a new beginning of a new year, ACA is starting a new beginning too. The association has inaugurated the 108 th President in our history, Denise Robinson from Ohio. And just like American history of having many Ohioans as our U.S. Presidents, so too does ACA have many Ohioans as our President. Denise brings yet an other aspect and point of

juvenile justice, probation, parole, community correc tions and private providers, this profession would fail. Add to that mix, education, mental healthcare, physi cal healthcare, nutrition, programs, security, and so many other aspects within each discipline and you be gin to describe corrections. For the next two years, our 108 th President, Denise Robinson, will bring yet another profes sional background to

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persons. Often times the success of a formerly incarcerated person is contingent on the success of his or her involvement in community corrections. Some would argue that it nearly always will determine the success of a returning citizen from the justice system. The corrections profession is made up of many components. There is a tendency to focus on “jails and prisons” when you mention our profession. But obviously without

corrections and to ACA. Let’s join together in thanking our 107 th President, Tony Parker, for his service and in wishing our 108 th President the very best during her term of office.

view of the corrections profession with her Presidency, that of commu nity corrections. Throughout ACA’s modern history our presidents have represented many disciplines from corrections: adult local detention, adult prison administration (both fed eral and state), healthcare, sentencing commissions, juvenile justice and private providers just to name a few. Community corrections is a vital link in reentry for incarcerated

James A. Gondles Jr., CAE ACA Executive Director

6 — January/February 2023 Corrections Today

In Memoriam

IN MEMORIAM

Perry M. Johnson 1931 — Dec. 25, 2022

estesleadley.com/obituaries/perry-johnson

W ith profound sadness, we report the passing on Christmas Day of the 92 nd President of ACA, Perry M. Johnson. Born in 1931 in a log cabin in Rocky Rapids, Alberta, Canada, Perry rose from humble beginnings to become an in ternationally recognized expert in the field of Corrections. Perry served the corrections profession with distinction and true class. A scholar at heart, he authored publications,

including books, but his professional love was the corrections community, having served as the Director of Corrections for the state of Michigan. Perry helped develop standards for correctional institutions which have resulted in the upgrading of many North American pris ons. His accomplishments were recognized by his peers in 1987 with the E.R. Cass Award, the highest honor in the profession. Please see the link above for Perry’s obituary. ♦

Photo courtesy Warren-McElwain Mortuary & Cremation Services Photo courtesy American Correctional Association

Gail Hughes June 10, 1931 — Jan. 21, 2023

warrenmcelwain.com

G ail Hughes spent 41 years with the Missouri Department of Corrections, starting as a corrections caseworker at the Missouri State Penitentiary in 1952. He was Chief of the State’s Probation and Parole system for twenty years and ended his last eight years with the Department as Deputy Director retiring in 1993. From the time of his retirement until December of 2006 he was employed as Executive Secretary for the Association of Paroling Authorities, Inter national. Hughes also worked for the Center for Effective Public Policy, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm doing work for the U.S. Justice Department. He is the past president of the Central States Corrections Association, Missouri Corrections Association, California Progress Inc., Moniteau County R-l School

Board, Moniteau County Library Board, Moniteau County Historical Society, Moni teau County Democrat Central Committee, and was the first chairperson of the Missouri State Sentencing Commission. He served on a number of local, state, and national commis sions and boards and was the author of many professional articles. He has been a consultant for federal and state criminal justice agencies. He has the distinction of being the only person to be the recipient of the three highest awards of his profession: E.R. Cass Award from the American Correction Association, Walter Dunbar Award from the American Probation and Parole Association and the Vincent O’Leary Award from the Association of Paroling Authorities, International. Please see the link above for Gail’s obituary. ♦

Corrections Today January/February 2023 — 7

NEWS&VIEWS

CORRECTIONAL CHAPLAIN PERSPECTIVES

Love your neighbor by establishing a well cared for prison cemetery By Hans Hallundbaek and Sharon Griest Ballen A ll Souls Day is a special day of prayer and remembrance of the faithful departed

observed by Roman Catholics and certain Christian denominations on November 2 nd . Annually, on All Souls’ Day, such love of neighbor is demonstrated in bucolic Westches ter County, in the peaceful Town of Bedford, NY, less than forty miles north of bustling New York City. By including the close to 1,000 women in Bedford Hills and Taconic Cor rectional Facilities, this small town can boast a population of almost 20,000. Tucked away under shade trees, in a peaceful corner of the medium security Taconic prison grounds, is a cemetery. Since the 1920’s, this cem etery has served as the final resting place for almost 100 men, women, and children of all faiths. In 2019, the Bedford community decided not to let its citizens forget this sacred place, and as importantly, not to allow the deceased to be forgotten. The cemetery became an integral part of a large outreach project when, in 2019, the Bedford Town Board established a Prison Relations Advi sory Committee (PRAC.)

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The innovative Adopt-A-Prison model The main purpose of PRAC was the implementation of an innovative, “Adopt-A-Prison” concept suggested by the Westchester County-based Interfaith Prison Partnership orga nization (IPP), which is devoted to prison outreach and reform. The “Adoption” had as its goal to develop closer ties between the com munity and the correctional facilities in its vicinity. The Adopt-A-Prison initiative mushroomed into a ma jor support program as the COVID pandemic, ravaging the world, also

severely impacted prisons across the country. It became a program about which Anthony J. Annucci, Acting Commissioner of New York State’s Department of Correction and Com munity Supervision (DOCCS) said, “While the Department has always prioritized positive working relations and maintained open communica tions with the communities that surround its correctional facilities, there presently is a burgeoning interest and strong desire by our neighbors to get actively involved and make meaningful contributions in an organized fashion to the lives

8 — January/February 2023 Corrections Today

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

the individual as well as birth and death information. It was a major logistic effort, but the spiritual result is incalculable. Each of these people, who through their incarceration has paid their debt to society, has now — by regaining their name — been granted figuratively a “resurrection.” Their names have reentered the his tory book of the human family and can be re-inserted in the family tree of their loved ones, just as names are listed in the Book of Life every year on Yom Kippur. Sr. Antonia’s impact on the cemetery is exemplary for, and replicable at, many prison cemeteries across the country. As the Interfaith Prison Partner ship (IPP) intern and third year Master of Divinity student at Union Theological Seminary in New York, Mark Davies said, “When hearing about how the graves of those who had died in the prisons were marked only by their prison number, my first thought was of the Shoah, the Holocaust, when Jews in the camps were known only by the number tat tooed on their forearm. How even those who survived are marked by that number for life . ” And he said he thought how, just like those Jews, these women in prison were reduced to numbers, dehumanized even in

death, known to all who passed by only by a number. Reaching out to the community For the past three years, IPP has organized a commemorative celebra tion and prayer vigil on All Souls’ Day, November 2 nd . This annual All Souls’ Day event has quickly be come a much-anticipated community event. Local faith and community leaders join with prison Superinten dents for prayer and commemorative remarks, all under the leadership of Deacon Clifford Calanni, the Catho lic Chaplain at both facilities. The IPP cemetery project is only a small fraction of the enormous effort this young organization has extended to the two prisons. IPP has helped PRAC to collect over 40,000 bars of soap from the com munity for donation to our neighbors in prison during COVID, helped in engaging the community in sewing over 13,000 masks for the women in prison, the list goes on extensively. IPP has contributed to taking down the wall between a community and the residents of these two prisons. Director of IPP, Rev. Elizabeth Friend-Ennis adds: “This community member outreach project over the barbed wire fences is about someone using their own hands to create this gift for another human who would otherwise feel outcast and forgotten. It’s about breaking down barriers of fear of the ‘other’ so that we can see the humanity and the divin ity in our incarcerated neighbors and help create the Beloved Com munity. The annual All Souls’ Day cemetery event is a further exten sion of community member interest in, and engagement with, the stark →

of those who are incarcerated. The Adopt-A-Facility model can be a vehicle to harness this goodwill to make transformative changes and reinvigorate principles of humanity and community that connect us all . ” True to its nature, a cemetery is a secluded, peaceful, timeless place shielded from the surrounding world. The Taconic cemetery is a place where one is drawn to reflections on its 100 year long history. No part of that history is more remarkable and heartfelt than the impact of a Fran ciscan Sister, Sr. Antonia Maguire, FMSC, who began volunteering at Bedford Hills Correctional facility in 1973. She eventually became the Catholic Chaplain at both Taconic and Bedford Hills women’s prisons, as well as nearby Sing Sing men’s prison. Sr. Antonia’s impact on the cemetery is exemplary for, and replicable at, many prison cemeteries across the country. In her weekly solitary prayer visits to the cemetery, Sr. Antonia was increasingly pained by the fact that in the stark rows of plain, raw cement crosses, each cross held only the state identification number of the incarcerated person — no name or other information about the indi vidual. Even in death, these women, men, and children were sentenced to eternal oblivion. On those weekly cemetery visits, she meticulously took down the scarce information on the crosses. With the persistence and persuasive power of a Catholic sister, Sr. Antonia succeeded in get ting permission to enter DOCCS files to extract more detailed information about each of the interred individu als. She then painstakingly updated each cross with the proper name of

Corrections Today January/February 2023 — 9

NEWS&VIEWS

this community to not only see the humanity of those buried there, but the humanity of those who currently live there. He quite literally gave their names back to them. He helped this community to realize that when we heal oth ers, we heal ourselves. People on both sides of “the wall” have been

their belief (or not) in God, at the All Souls’ Day service each year, they describe how they can actually feel God’s presence ... that it is palpable.” The Taconic Cemetery is just one of hundreds of prison cemeteries throughout the country. We hope, through this article, to inspire prison administrators and chaplains in other facilities to embrace any prison cem etery in their backyard and involve local faith organizations for remem brance and respect for those buried in their midst. In the current turbu lent times, we may want to pause for a moment in reflection on our com mon humanity and the eternal call for love by remembering the close to 100 individuals in Bedford who, for far too long, were known only as a number. May it not last another 100 years before others in similar situa tions across the country are brought back to memory and merely given the dignity of their name.

Photo courtesy Hans Hallundbaek and Sharon Griest Ballen

healed by helping each other.

reality of imprisonment. The cem etery outreach project is maybe the most rewarding in terms of giving the community a feeling of close ness based on the cemetery’s long history . ” The Chair of PRAC explained, “Bedford is the only municipality in the country to establish a Town Advisory Committee specifically on prison issues. PRAC, with the full support of DOCCS, has initi ated thirteen different programs and initiatives which directly help the women in our two NYS facilities. I absolutely know that none of this would have happened without the groundwork laid by the Adopt-a Prison program. The work of IPP’s founding Director with the cemetery is at the basis of the hugely success ful Adopt-a-Prison program and the formation of PRAC. It was the idea behind a community adopting its local prison that planted the seeds in this Town for it to be able to ‘see’ the women, whether alive or dead, in our two NYS prisons as more than the worst thing that they have ever done. By working tirelessly to humanize our neighbors buried at the Taconic Correctional Facility cemetery, IPP’s founding Director allowed

May it not last another 100 years before others in similar situations across the country are brought back to memory and merely given the dignity of their name. Many are reduced to tears at each annual All Souls’ Day service as Cantor Jamie Tortorello-Allen sings the Mourner’s Kaddish and reminds us all how Jews are asked to pray for those who died in the Holocaust, for they have no one to pray for them. The same is true for those buried in Taconic’s cemetery. Although some of the community members have said that, at times, they struggle with

Hans Hallundbaek, M-Div., D-Min. New York Theological Seminary.

Twenty five years of teaching and service chaplaincy work in Sing Sing Correctional Facility. Founder of Interfaith Prison Partnership (IPP) and co-founder of Rehabilitation through the Arts (RTA)

Sharon Griest Ballen, MSW, LCSW, is the Chair of the Prison Relations Advisory Committee (PRAC) to the Town of Bedford; a member of the Legislative Advisory Committee on Correction

to NYS Assemblymember Chris Burdick; the Program Coordinator of Interfaith Prison Partnership (IPP); and an Elder at Katonah Presbyterian Church.

10 — January/February 2023 Corrections Today

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Correctional Nurse Manager Training and Certification Curriculum

Module 1 — Health Care in Corrections Section 1A – Appropriate and Necessary Health Care Section 1B – Access to Care Section 1C – Total Quality Management Section 1D – Prevention of Contagion Module 2 — Legal Issues in Corrections Section 2A – History of Correctional Law Section 2B – Inmate Rights v. Inmate Privileges Section 2C – Landmark Court Cases Section 2D – Inmate Grievances Section 2E – Confidentiality Module 3 — Behavioral Health Section 3A – Basics of Mental Illness Section 3B – Mental Health Assessments Section 3C – Crisis Intervention Section 3D – Suicide Prevention Section 3E – Trauma Informed Care Section 3F – The Multidisciplinary Service Team and Multidisciplinary Treatment Team Section 3G – Managing Disruptive Inmates Section 4A – Scope and Nature of Correctional Nursing Section 4B – Understanding the Standards of Correctional Nurse Practice Section 4C – Understanding the Standards of Professional Performance Section 4D – Ethics Section 4E – Accreditation Module 4 — Nursing Practice and Accreditation

Module 5 — Security Section 5A – Equipment/Supplies Accountability Section 5B – Inspections and Investigations Section 5C – Problem Inmates Section 5D – Emergencies Module 6 — General and Inmate Management Section 6A – Special Needs Inmates Section 6B – Policy and Procedures Section 6C – Communication Section 6D – Classification Section 6E – Health Education Programs Module 7 — Conflict Management Section 7A – Staff Conflict Management Section 7B – Inmate Conflict Management Section 7C – Mediation Section 7D – Staff Grievances Module 8 — Human Resource Management Section 8A – Staff Management Section 8B – Recruitment and Retention Section 8C – Staff Development

Eligibility Requirements: Certified Correctional Nurse Manager (CCN/M)

• RN license in good standing with corresponding state nursing board

• 2 years of correctional nurse management experience; supervises other medical personnel and administrative staff

• Associate, Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Master of Science (M.S.) in Nursing or completion of an accredited nursing program

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NEWS&VIEWS

NIJ UPDATE

Emerging relevance of neuroscience in corrections By Eric Martin, Social Science Analyst, NIJ

The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. N euroscience, the study of the structure and function of the brain and nervous system, is changing our thinking on the subject matter boundaries of corrections research. Recently the neuroscience field has yielded two significant contribu tions to NIJ-supported studies on

correctional officer wellness, and reentry. First, neuroscience data and biological and physiological mark ers have emerged as an invaluable source of data augmenting what correctional officers themselves are reporting about their stress levels. Second, it is becoming increasing ly clear that many justice-involved individuals may suffer from a past traumatic brain injury (TBI) and that the lingering effects of that trauma may contribute to their criminal

justice involvement and act as a barrier to their successful reentry. Understanding the prevalence and consequences of past brain trauma among that population, particularly in terms of criminogenic risk and needs, will facilitate effective reentry programing. This article details how neurosci ence inquiries are making important inroads in the field of correctional research, traditionally the domain of the social sciences. Measuring correctional officer stress In 2016, NIJ created an inter disciplinary working group on the safety and wellness of all individu als employed by, associated with, or involved with the criminal justice system. The working group called for the incorporation of neurosci ence, biological, or physiological measures of wellness into NIJ re search. Since then, NIJ has funded four projects that examined correc tional officer wellness and responses to stress that have used psychologi cal or biological health markers to augment conventional self-reported assessments of officer stress.

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NIJ Update

Much of the funded research focused on more of the day-to-day, work-related stress associated with corrections work. That type of stress can be as debilitating as exposure to trauma for police officers. 1 NIJ’s goal was to observe whether correctional officers had similar experiences with organizational stress. MRI imaging to gauge impact of stress on day-to-day activities A major step forward for the inclusion of biomarkers in NIJ wellness research came from the Oregon Health and Science Univer sity (OHSU). The study included a robust measure of the impact of stress on daily function with the use of brain scans with MRI imaging. It investigated long-term exposure to work-related stress among Oregon correctional officers in medium and high-security facilities. The research team administered surveys to correc tional officers from six correctional facilities and conducted MRI imag ining and collected biomarkers of stress hormones and cardio-metabol ic risk on a subsample of 60 officers. Survey results from 329 cor rectional officers showed that work overload and other organizational stressors (e.g., insufficient resources, lack of supervisor support) were sig nificant sources of perceived stress. The threat of COVID-19 exposure was also a major source of stress, but it did not contribute as much as the everyday, work-related stress. Ad ditionally, extra money earned from working long hours did not seem to adequately compensate for the added stress placed by the overtime. 2 The addition of the biological and neuro-imaging data enhanced

the policy and practice relevance of the project because it allowed the research team to observe the impact of heightened stress levels in an operational setting. Using a subset of high-stress and low-stress cor rectional officers identified from the surveys, OHSU researchers were Survey results from 329 correctional officers showed that work overload and other organizational stressors (e.g., insufficient resources, lack

activate more cognitive attention to the simple tasks in the lab. 3 In an op erational setting, that may mean that correctional officers under higher levels of chronic occupational stress may have more difficulty, or take more time, identifying relevant in formation in a confusing or evolving situation. The OHSU research team is conducting additional analyses to see if these findings hold. 4 If the additional analysis does confirm them, these findings have major operational relevance. The slightest difficulty in quickly sift ing through conflicting information would put correctional officers at a disadvantage in a critical incident in a jail or prison setting. As the OHSU team conducts additional analyses on the extent of that impact on cogni tive processing and function, further research is also needed to understand how these findings translate from a controlled lab setting to the officers’ response to an evolving and possibly chaotic operational incident. The impact of latent brain trauma on incarcerated individuals From 2018 to 2021, NIJ sought to generate rigorous program evalua tions of emerging reentry initiatives. The effort resulted in 16 separate evaluations, three of which examined individuals with latent brain trauma reentering the community from incarceration. 5 Prevalence and impact of traumatic brain injury There is growing recognition that many incarcerated individuals are dealing with the lingering effects of a past TBI. Though estimates vary widely, one half to two-thirds of

of supervisor support) were

significant sources of perceived stress.

able to see, through MRI imaging, that stress levels impacted mental processing during the performance of mundane tasks. Officers under higher perceived stress levels (when compared to low-stress officers) had to activate the parts of their brain that dealt with focusing on relevant information and discarding irrel evant or conflicting information. The researchers attributed the response to the high-stress group having to

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the incarcerated population suffer from the effects of one or multiple past TBI. 6 That is roughly five times higher than the incidence within the general population. 7 Comparisons of different classifications of TBI reveal that the estimates are only slightly lower under a strict definition where the past trauma resulted in loss of consciousness. That outcome sug gests that most of those instances were severe traumatic episodes. 8 The CDC lists falls, gun violence, car crashes, and assaults as the most common causes of TBI. 9 For those that suffer from TBI, the already daunting prospect of a successful reentry from incarcera tion can be even more difficult. Past TBI can inhibit executive function ing. That effect may make filling out forms or navigating bureaucratic processes all the more difficult. 10 Research has also found that TBI may contribute to substance abuse and anger issues. 11 That adds to, and likely compounds, the criminogenic needs these individuals may have to overcome in order to be successful during the reentry process. For ex ample, having a substance addiction puts an individual at risk for TBI, and the resulting injury may then put them at greater risk for substance abuse and dependency. 12 Reentry interventions for those suffering from traumatic brain injuries In 2019, and then again in 2020, NIJ funded evaluations of a promis ing reentry program for individuals suffering from a past TBI. The stud ies will evaluate variations of the same intervention, called resource

istock/Tonpor Kasa

facilitation, or NeuroResource Facili tation, which consists of a cognitive behavioral therapy program tailored to individuals with TBI, education on the impact of TBI, and a case management component to identify resources for the client. The cogni tive behavioral therapy program addresses mental health issues and aggression often associated with TBI and is paired with a case manage ment component that focuses on overcoming difficulties in problem solving, executive functioning, and organizational skills. 13 The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City will study the implementation of a standard NeuroResource Facilitation intervention. The evaluation will ran domly assign over 1,500 individuals from two Pennsylvania correctional facilities to either NeuroResource Facilitation or the conventional standard of care. NeuroResource Facilitation relies on training case management facilitators to work specifically with individuals with a

history of TBI to identify services (especially services designed for those suffering from past TBI) and craft a reentry plan. The tailored case management is a core component of the program, along with the tailored cognitive behavioral therapy and education regarding the lingering effects of a past TBI. NeuroResource Facilitation participants will con tinue to receive case management and service referral upon release as well. The Icahn School of Medicine research team will collect data on recidivism, participation in reentry programming and TBI services, and employment outcomes. The evalua tion is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. 14 RHI Foundation of Indianapolis is conducting a TBI-focused evalu ation in partnership with the Indiana Department of Corrections. Over 100 incarcerated individuals housed in one facility who were known to have a history of a past TBI were randomly selected to receive the Reentry Continuum for Brain Injury

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Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 60: 95-101. 7 See CDC (n.d.). Traumatic Brain Injury in Prisons and Jails. 8 In their meta-analysis, the authors found that studies report any instance of TBI at around 60% of the incarcerated population and the estimate of TBI that resulted in unconsciousness at 50%. Shiroma et al. (2012). “Prevalence of Traumatic Brain Injury,” pg. 156. 9 CDC (2022). Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion . Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 10 Nagele, D. et al. (2019). “Brain Injury in an Offender Population: Implications for Reentry and Community Transition.” Journal of Offender Rehabilitation 57(1): 1-24. 11 See Adams, R. (2020). “Opioid Use among Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Perfect Storm?” Journal of Neurotrauma 37: 211-216; CDC (n.d.). Traumatic Brain Injury in Prisons and Jails . 12 Adams. “Opioid Use among Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury.” 13 See Trexler, L. et al. (2010). “Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of Resource Facilitation on Community Participation and Vocational Outcome Following Brain Injury.” Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 25: 440-446, and the award descriptions posted to: Resource Facilitation: A promising initiative shown to decrease recidivism in exiting offenders with traumatic brain injury | National Institute of Justice (ojp.gov) and NeuroResource Facilitation for Improved Re-Entry Outcomes for Offenders with Brain Injury: AMulti-Site Randomized Controlled Trial | National Institute of Justice (ojp.gov). 14 See NeuroResource Facilitation for Improved Re-Entry Outcomes for Offenders with Brain Injury: AMulti-Site Randomized Controlled Trial | National Institute of Justice (ojp.gov). 15 See Resource Facilitation: A promising initiative shown to decrease recidivism in exiting offenders with traumatic brain injury | National Institute of Justice (ojp.gov)

intervention. The intervention com bines the standard NeuroResource Facilitation intervention with pro gramming to enhance resiliency to the effects of past brain injury and identify and decrease aggressive thoughts and impulses. The research team will assess recidivism outcomes up to three years post-release, as well as any positive gains in terms of employment outcomes and reduc tion in aggressive ideation. Gaining and maintaining successful employ ment is a major reentry focus of the project, as TBI’s effects pose mul tiple risks to successful employment due to the difficulties with executive function and aggressive ideation. Findings are expected by the end of 2024. 15 Conclusion NIJ is taking a critical step to incorporate neurological science into criminal justice research, cor rections operations, and reentry programming. First, the exposure to long-term stress can inhibit prob lem solving by correctional officers. Existing research is being expanded into evaluation of a program aimed at minimizing the impact of that chronic organizational stress. Sec ond, NIJ is evaluating promising interventions to help incarcerated individuals overcome difficulties re lated to a past traumatic brain injury that may inhibit a successful reentry. Those initial investments are part of a larger program incorporating neuroscience applications across all components of the criminal justice field. NIJ has initiated a Neurosci ence, Law, and Criminal Justice portfolio within the agency. With this new portfolio, NIJ hopes to gain

a better understanding of how best to integrate relevant neuroscience research findings into the laws and programming that affect criminal justice operations and outcomes system-wide. It is also working to integrate the work of government agencies, non-profits, and other relevant organizations in ways that maximize and harmonize research ef forts and system outcomes. Through those combined efforts, NIJ strives to provide criminal justice practitioners and policy makers with the tools and knowledge needed to meet the needs of both their staff and those individu als affected by the system. Occupational Stress and Psychological Distress in Police, Policing: An Internal Journal of Police Strategies & Management , 25: 421-439; Gershon, J. (2009). National Institute of Justice Final Report ‘Project Shields,’ in Criminal Justice and Behavior 36(3): 275-289; Maguen, S., et al. (2009), Routine Environment Stress and PTSD Symptoms in Police Officers. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases 197(10): 754-760. 2 Kuehl, K. (2021). Defining the Impact of Stress and Traumatic Events on Corrections Officers: Final Research Report . Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice. 3 Ibid. 4 OHSU received additional NIJ funding in 2020 to evaluate approaches to mitigate the common stressors identified in the 2017 study. See Corrections Work’s Adverse Effects and a Total Worker Health Program to Enhance Well-being (Topic 2). 5 Martin, E. & Garcia, M. (2022). “Reentry Research at NIJ: Providing Robust Evidence for High-Stakes Decision-Making.” NIJ Journal 284. 6 See CDC (n.d.). Traumatic Brain Injury in Prisons and Jails: An Unrecognized Problem . Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Shiroma, E. et al. (2012). “Prevalence of Traumatic Brain Injury in an Offender Population: AMeta-Analysis. The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 27(3): E1-E10; Durand, L. et al. (2017). “History of Traumatic Brain Injury in Prison Populations: A Systematic Review.” ENDNOTES 1 See Liberman, A., et al. (2002). Routine

Eric Martin is a social science analyst at the National Institute of Justice. Mr. Martin supports research in policing and corrections.

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VIEW FROM THE LINE

Thoughts on workforce culture, morale, recruitment, retention By Kevin Myers, Correctional Administrator, Tennessee Department of Correction

a boulder rolling downhill, gravity and momentum can pull morale down at an increased rate. There are always many ready to encourage this down ward fall. As a leader, make sure you know who readily spread misinformation, partial information and contribute to negative thinking. – Daily interactions at the work site and posts on social media matter. As a leader, you must be well informed by monitoring these important “touch points”. Formal and informal, group and individual interactions are key to ensuring you know each member of the team and their current state of wellness. Have a cup of coffee and listen to members of the team. – You never have the option of “having a bad day” in public. As a leader, you are constantly being observed for clues and signs. Body language as well as verbal language matters. – The message the employee takes home to the family and loved one’s matters. Offenses that occur during the day are

istock/designer491

The following thoughts and opinions are those of the author and not intended to reflect the views of any organization. These are based on my experiences with multiple organizations over a few decades. I believe these points impact the culture and morale of our organizations and in turn impact the ability to recruit and retain team members. It is my hope you find some value in these thoughts. Workforce and facility morale – It has been my experience that workforce and facility morale is constantly evolving and is dependent on each member of the team. It defines the culture of the facility. The situation you find today is not new. Each

warden has faced similar chal lenges in morale. – Improving morale and main taining a positive culture is a continuous effort and depends on small gains. Often times, one individual at a time. It is an upward spiral that requires consistent and deliberate focus. Make sure you know who helps to push morale up by doing the small things and saying the right things. – Negative impacts on morale and the facility culture occur quickly. Certain situations can create a downward spiral. Like

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View From the Line

often shared. Resolutions that occur the next day are seldom shared. What the family thinks, matters. Immediate and inten tional responses to offenses is of the utmost importance. Waiting until tomorrow may not be an option. Improving morale and maintaining a positive culture is a continuous effort and

– Focusing on the mission has worked for the armed services and other organizations for years. – Studies indicate applicants of the current generation want to make a difference, not just make a living. The mission is that difference! The mission must create a strong sense of culture and tie to the impact on society. People Matter Team members must know that they matter. As the leadership of the facility, you are the message to those that you serve. – Create opportunities to in clude, engage and support team members. Celebrate and acknowledge birthdays, an niversaries and kids/grandkids accomplishments. Inclusion is one of the purposes of these opportunities. Ensure team members are not being forgot ten. It doesn’t matter whether they are your favored employee. All employees must be favored. • Host a roundtable once per month. Feed them and listen to their words and thoughts. Their comments should be encouraged. Any questions should be for the purpose of enhancing understanding not for debating their percep tions and beliefs. • Have a small group discus sion about current topics. Not politics! Resources such as LinkedIn abound with month for all that had a birthday/anniversary that

quick learning opportunities. A thirty-minute break for team members with the boss can yield huge rewards. • Ensure these discussions are inclusive. Not just cor rectional officers, or just counselors etc. The team is made of many parts and understanding one another is important. • Don’t make these events convenient for you. Early in the morning, late in the eve ning. Remember, our teams work a shift. At the end of a long shift, they want to get home to their family and other plans. • One year, five year and ten-year accomplishments should should be celebrated in a meaningful manner. These are significant mile stones. Remember yours? • Inclusion into the organiza tion. New team members should not be seen as an invasion into “our family”. Failure to include, failure to share information, failure to invite for a discussion equates to a failure to retain. Remember, the mis sion and the purpose of the organization matters. If it doesn’t, members will go elsewhere. • Hires and Promotions. Make sure bulletin boards have pictures of all new team members so staff can rec ognize and welcome them when they are in and around the facility. Graduations and promotions should be done

depends on small gains.

The mission matters – Too often interviews for as

sistant wardens and chiefs’ positions find that applicants don’t know the mission of the organization. The mission is the keystone of the organization and establishes purpose and direction. The mission should be the heart and soul of every meeting, every celebration, every message sent and every discussion had so each team member feels a commitment to the mission. Acknowledgement of accomplishments as well as interventions for poor perfor mance should be linked to the impact on the mission.

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