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The Newest Danger p. 28

March/April 2020 Today Corrections Facility-Wide Positive Behavior

Intervention and Supports p. 20

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American Correctional Association Corrections Today March/April 2020 Vol. 82, No. 2

Features

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The newest danger that correctional institutions face By Albert DeAmicis, MPIA, MPPM By Kristine Jolivette, Ph.D., Nicole C. Swoszowski, Ph.D., Sara Sanders, Ed.D., Robin Parks Ennis, Ph.D., Jeffrey R. Sprague, Ph.D. Facility-wide positive behavior intervention and support Concrete visuals for all staff within juvenile facilities

36 Revolutionizing the inmate assignment to correctional institutions at PADOC By Mohammad Shahabsafa, Tamás Terlaky, Anshul Sharma and Kristofer Bret Bucklen

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Writing the way to regeneration How the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop (MPWW) is instilling hope in incarcerated inmates By Skylar Mitchell

Cover photo: istock/ALLVISIONN

2 — March/April 2020 Corrections Today

START SPREADING THE NEWS ...

1 8 7 O - 2 O 2 O YEARS

The American Correctional Association cordially invites you to help celebrate our 150 th Anniversary. We are looking for Sponsors to help make our 150 th Congress of Correction in Cincinnati, August 6-10 2020, a truly special occasion for all corrections professionals! For more information, please contact James A. Gondles, CAE, Executive Director, ACA at execoffice@aca.org.

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News&Views

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From Jim’s Desk

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NCOEW

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Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

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NIJ Update

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49 ACA Featured Departments

Welcome New Members

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Milestone Anniversaries

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Certification List

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Bookshelf

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2020 Winter Conference Sneak Peek

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National Correctional Officers and Employees Week Celebrating Greatness — Awards Nomination Forms Membership and Customer Service

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Certification Spotlight

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Corrections Calendar

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Index to Advertisers/ Product Index

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OFFICERS President Gary C. Mohr, Ohio Immediate Past President Lannette C. Linthicum, M.D., FACP, Texas Vice President Tony M. Wilkes, Tennessee President-Elect Tony C. Parker, Tennessee Treasurer Denise M. Robinson, Ohio 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 Floyd Nelson Associate Editors Alexander Carrigan Skylar Mitchell GRAPHICS AND PRODUCTION STAFF Graphic Designer Carla DeCarlo ADVERTISING AND MARKETING STAFF Director, Conventions, Advertising and Corporate Relations Kelli McAfee Production Coordinator Mary Misisco EPS/Printing Services MVP Press • Dulles, VA ACA Executive Office and Directors Executive Director James A. Gondles Jr., CAE Deputy Executive Director Jeffrey Washington Executive Office Director Debbi Seeger senior executive Assistant India Vargas

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. Microfilm: Corrections Today is available for electronic reproduction through ProQuest Information and Learning Co., 300 N. Zeeb Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346; 313-761-4700.

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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. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA 22314 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address 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. Send change of address notice and a recent mailing label to Membership and Customer Service Department, ACA, 60 days before the actual change of address. ACA will not replace undelivered copies resulting from an address change. Printed in USA. Vol. 82, No. 2. Copyright 2020 by the American Correctional Association.

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Corrections Today March/April 2020 — 5

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From Jim’s Desk

I n this, our 150 th year of existence, the American Correctional Associa- tion has taken a step outside our 50 states. ACA always has had involvement in international professional- ism in corrections. In fact, many persons outside our nation attended our first several meetings and helped in formulating our Founding Principles. That tradition has continued throughout the life of ACA. But late last year, we received governmental

countries and I will highlight them in later articles. But Dr. Elizabeth Gondles has been the keystone to international training, standards, and accred- itation worldwide. Her work beyond Mexico has taken her to far away countries through- out the world to such places as the United Arab Emirates. Again, in future editions of this space, I will expound upon other international programs and new domestic achieve- ments. But as we celebrate our sesquicentennial birth, we can be proud that through our 150 th year of association life, we have been influenced and inclusive of our neighbors worldwide.

authority for “Global Correctional Association” and “Global Correc- tional Services.” You may have noticed that we have changed our traditional logo to incorporate those two entities. A copy is with this article. Nowhere have our efforts been more successful internationally than with our partners to the south,

Mexico. We even have an active chapter there called ACA-Mexico. Under our International Correctional Core Standards, we have accredited well over 100 facilities, thanks to the support of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the U.S. Department of State. Many individuals have contribut- ed to our efforts in Mexico and other

James A. Gondles Jr., CAE ACA Executive Director

6 — March/April 2020 Corrections Today

Correctional Behavioral Health Training and Certi cation Program

Adult Correctional Officers • Juvenile Justice Professionals Allied Behavioral Health Staff • Community Corrections Officers

This program ensures a candidate’s knowledge of national expected practices and guidelines, legal and ethical principles and relevant security regulations. It also validates the role of correctional professionals associated with the provision of behavioral health services for mentally ill inmates or o enders in correctional settings.

“The CBHC training offered valuable perspectives for custody and health services staff working as a multidisciplinary service team.” —Terri L. Catlett, Deputy Director – Health Services North Carolina Department of Public Safety

“The program is a benchmark that targets specialized training needs for staff interacting with correctional behavioral health populations today. It promotes public safety and safer prisons by increasing the level

of professionalism for our correctional officers as it builds knowledge, skills and abilities tomanage our growing behavioral health populations.” —Tony Parker, Commissioner Tennessee Department of Correction

“The American Correctional Association’s Correctional Behavioral Health Certification helps us reach the goal of successfully training our officers to be better at managing this difficult population.” —Daron Hall, Sheriff Davidson’s County Sheriff’s Office

For more information, email healthcare@aca.org

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NCOEW

Submit your NCOEW photos to Corrections Today!

National Correctional Officers and Employees Week will be May 3–9, 2020

By Alexander Carrigan

E very year, the first full week of May is dedicated to celebrating National Correctional Officers and mployees Week (NCOEW) to recognize the hard work of those in the correc- tions field. This is a time for officers and employees to see how much their work is valued and we here at Corrections Today want to see how your team celebrates. Our July/August 2020 issue will feature a recap of NCOEW events from all over the country, and we want to feature you. Send us your NCOEW photos to be included in this issue. The July/August 2020 issue will be featured at our 150 th Congress of Correction in Cincinnati this summer, so this is your chance to show off your team to thousands of conference goers. We want to see celebrations, cer- emonies, and any other events that show how much you care about your depart- ment of corrections colleagues and your correctional facilities. Please follow the photo guidelines fea- tured here before submitting. The deadline to submit photos for consideration is May 15 th . If you have any further questions, you can email ACA associate editor Alexander Carrigan at alexc@aca.org. We look forward to receiving your pictures!

Corrections Today Magazine Photo Specifications We want your photos to appear as wonderful as possible when printed in Corrections Today. Here is a guide to help you get the best quality in your printed photos. – – One of the best cameras is the one you have with you — and for most of us, that camera is your smartphone. – – Before you email us your photos, check the image size (small, medium, large, actual size). Please send us the largest version of your photo. – – Photo resolution should be 300 dpi. – – Preferred file formats: JPEGs (first choice) or PDFs. – – As a rule of thumb, if your photo is less than a megabyte, it’s too small to use. – – Small photos at 72 dpi cannot be scaled up and will appear fuzzy or pixelated.

Photo courtesy Ellis Williams, AV Specialist, Photographer

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Calling wardens, agencies, and directors! Are you proud of your contributions and the work you do? The American Correctional Association is looking to recognize exemplary practices in the field of corrections. Those chosen will be featured on the ACA website, as well as in an upcoming issue of Corrections Today Magazine. In recognition of ... YOU!

To apply, go to www.aca.org and click on PUBLICATIONS. For more information, email publications@aca.org.

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Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

Benefits of CPE-Trained Correctional Chaplains: Part 1 By The Rev. Eric Jeuland, BCC

T he word chaplain comes from the Latin word “cappella,” meaning “little cloak.” Chris- tian legend states that a member of the Roman army was deployed to Gaul (now France), and on his way to Amiens came upon a nearly-naked beggar on a cold day. He whipped off his military cloak, sliced it in two with his sword and gave half of his cloak (“little cloak”) to the beggar. The man went on to become a bishop and a saint of the Roman Catho- lic Church; Saint Martin of Tours (316-397). 1 Over the years, the word “chaplain” has come to mean a person who offers spiritual care and emotion- al support to a special group of people not attached to a church, synagogue, temple or religious institution. For example, when the U.S. Congress first convened in 1789, the first order of business was to select a chaplain, con- tinuing the tradition established by the Second Continental Congress where each day’s proceedings was opened with a prayer by a chaplain. Chaplains have long modeled sacrifice and care, reminding others of the importance of human dignity, especially in govern- mental or non-religious institutions.

istock/AMR Image

As society has grappled with particular challenges, individu- als and groups have increasingly focused their energies and expertise to improve society. Hospitals, the armed forces, law enforcement, jails and prisons are each designed to address critical challenges to the fabric of society. Chaplains in each of these settings specialize on addressing each context’s own hardships, adversities, crises and suffering. Institutional chaplains are thus a highly specialized group

within society who are familiar with diversity; they represent different religions and serve all people — employees as well as clients — in their institutions. Within each type of institution, chaplains experience the unique traumas and strains on human life addressed by their insti- tutions — for example when people get sick or die (healthcare), when a nation arms and sends its citizens to fight (military), or when our courts sentence individuals to secure con- finement (corrections).

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Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

In these specialized roles, chaplains need highly specialized training. First, as religious pro- fessionals, they need religion- or tradition-specific training; for example, graduate level seminary degrees, or intensive mentorships with their tradition’s elders. And sec- ond, like all professionals, chaplains need institution-specific training to understand the purpose of their institutions; for example through en- rollment in a correctional academy. Clinical Pastoral Education A third type of training is also needed for correctional chaplains be- cause behind bars they never simply function as leaders of their own faith group, nor do they just support cus- tody or treatment goals. This third, even more specialized training is quite common, and is even required, in the military and in healthcare but not yet in corrections: Clinical Pas- toral Education, or CPE. In America, CPE that is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education is offered by the Association of Clinical Pasto- ral Education (ACPE). 2 Chaplaincy within secular institu- tions requires religious professionals to shift and expand their focus beyond both their previous faith- specific roles and the specialized silos of their institutions. Leaders of congregations are used to being the religiously-authoritative leader of a group of like-believing followers. Being a chaplain within a secular institution is quite different. Insti- tutional chaplaincy encompasses emotional and spiritual care to peo- ple of all or no faith. It also focuses on the interaction between faith and the specific context at hand. In

example is the typical delineation within corrections between cus- tody and treatment. Vitally, CPE emphasizes the necessity of finding connections based on our shared humanity and addressing experiences of difference and disagreement by deepening one’s personal humility and compassion for others. Ulti- mately the goal of chaplains is to rehumanize contexts that are strained by suffering and trauma. This is accomplished through a process of intensive personal reflection on one’s actions and assumptions as they come up in chaplains’ day to day work. Thus, contrary to the tendency in which increased specialization breeds increased disconnection from others, the educational goal of CPE is reconnection. CPE is experiential rather than just informational. Rather than adding new ideas and strategies, CPE challenges students to take all the puzzle pieces already on the table (their heritage, faith, personality, and skills) and bring them together into their day to day practice and pres- ence. Rather than gaining tools to fix problems people bring them, chaplains learn to trust the power of attentive presence and non-anxious listen- ing. In CPE, chaplains become more grounded in their own faith, more able to consistently show compassion, and more skillful in facilitating others’ self-discovery of their own spiritual and emotional resources. Shifts in goals, shifts in power Chaplains need to learn to shift their perspective as they become part of secular, goal-oriented institutions. For example, a chaplain’s primary

ministry with employees, chaplains empower their colleagues to do their jobs more effectively, healthily and humanely. For clients — in our case incarcerated people — correctional chaplains support them to reconnect with healthy coping strategies and spiritual resources relevant to reha- bilitation and/or life behind bars. Specialization that recon- nects rather than isolates One unintended consequence of specialization is the inevitable isolation or disconnection between peoples and groups dedicated to different specialties. For example, the more specialized healthcare gets, the more hospitals isolate people who are sick and dying, and the less illness or death are experienced as normal parts of life. Another For clients — in our case incarcerated people — correctional chaplains support them to reconnect with healthy coping strategies and spiritual resources relevant to rehabilitation and/ or life behind bars.

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role is no longer that of preacher or teacher. This is a major shift for basic students: it is not the chaplain’s words that matter most but rather what words the care-receiver finds for themselves and uses to construct meaning in the midst of pain and/or injustice. Thus paradoxically, in care- giving conversations the chaplain becomes the follower, facilitating others’ exploration of hope, meaning, comfort and connection. Correctional chaplains’ non-pros- elytizing role is also non-negotiable because of the power dynamics at play between themselves and in- carcerated people. Whereas this boundary is important in healthcare due to the imbalance of power be- tween patient and clinician, it is far more important in the correctional environment, in which chaplains’ audiences are literally captive, not to mention isolated from so many of the things in life that give dignity to in- dividuals. This is one of the primary challenges for correctional chaplains and a major reason training in the form of clinical supervision is more — not less — necessary in correc- tions than in hospitals or the military. Examples of increased chaplain involvement Correctional chaplains who are skillful advocates of human dignity and are meaningfully integrated with all staff (custody, treatment, administration) are uniquely poised to increase institutional safety and security, decrease recidivism, and increase staff wellness. Custody For example, in working along- side custody staff, correctional

chaplains who are comfortable with their authority and power to dignify all people are able to build rapport with all incarcerated people in times of need and vulnerability (like at family members’ deaths, or even just a bad day). This prior rapport allows them at critical times of stress or conflict to intervene at a moment’s notice to stop a fight or avoid a forced cell extraction. This kind of intervention increases the safety of a facility because it decreases violence directly, and therefore also staff use of force. CPE uses peer groups that offers opportunities to notice and work with chaplains’ own reactions of fight/flight/freeze. Correctional chaplains who have done that work themselves are better able to under- stand and interrupt others’ reactivity before it is too late. Interpersonal connections between chaplains and those they serve built through empa- thy and respect empower and enable staff and incarcerated people to imagine and activate for themselves productive responses and coping mechanisms. Staff wellness, in turn is supported through a less violent environment, fewer injuries, stress, Chaplains who are integrated into the various treatment teams are active participants in staff rounds and are able to contribute to critical cases and ensure quality care. CPE is practical group-based learning that can train chaplains to lead conver- sations and programs that are not limited to specific religious designa- tions (e.g. grief support, spirituality and addiction, practicing emotional intelligence, parenting classes, and trauma. Treatment

relational resilience, and groups for special needs populations: inpatient psych, PC, SRG, AS, etc.). Well run groups channel peoples’ relational and emotional energy in a pro-social direction. These groups have the ability to support cultural values of engagement and respect, which de- crease intimidation and coercion that lead to violence. Chaplains work- ing alongside custody and treatment staff provide assistance by reducing stress, burnout, resentment and by sharing the responsibility of running programs. Administration Chaplains also can work with administrators in significant ways. Chaplains are on the units and in- teract with all staff in facilities and thus, if they are pro-active, often have a good sense of the pulse of an institution, and they should also have the ear of top administrators. CPE brings a diversity of students together and helps them deal with differences of all kinds (cultural, personality, religious, etc.). Chap- lains learned to anticipate potential conflicts and miscommunications in CPE so they are poised to improve communication between the many silos inside correctional institutions and departments. Through Inter-Per- sonal Communication (IPC) skills and their role as empathetic listen- ers, skilled chaplains can serve as mediators between different groups. Also, by virtue of their experience in public speaking, chaplains can also represent their DOC effectively to the public and express the DOC’s mission in protecting human dignity. In summary, highly-trained correctional chaplains improve

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Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

safety by being conduits of positive energy, pride, and fair treatment of all people and other staff. CPE is a highly specialized and vital training for correctional chaplains because it improves their skills as agents of compassion and connection in a highly volatile and disconnect- ed field. Chaplains have the opportunity to promote mutual understanding and trust within the chain of command, decrease staff issues, and increase employee satisfaction with administration. Over time, the positive cultural influence of highly competent and compassionate chaplains can significantly impact correctional institutions and departments from the inside out.

This marks the end of Part 1 of Ben- efits of CPE-Trained Correctional Chaplains. Part 2 will be featured in the next issue of Corrections Today. Endnotes: 1 Maness, M. G. (1998). Etymology of “Chaplain” — Traditional and Professional. Retrieved from http://www.preciousheart.net/chaplaincy/Chaplain- Etymology.pdf 2 The Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) “is the premier, Department of Education recognized organization that provides the highest quality CPE programs for spiritual care professionals of any faith and in any setting” ACPE. EDU. For more information about ACPE: https:// www.acpe.edu/ACPE/About_ACPE/ACPE/About_ ACPE/About_ACPE.aspx?hkey=8bda1439-a609- 475c-83ba-d86c9ca8e7e4 3 The Association of Professional Chaplains (APC ® ) “advocates for quality chaplaincy care of all persons in health care facilities, correctional institutions, long-term care units, rehabilitation

centers, hospice, the military and other specialized settings.” http://www.professionalchaplains.org/ content.asp?pl=24&contentid=24.

Rev. Eric Jeuland has been a chaplain for the Connecticut Department of Correction and a member of the ACA (American Correctional Association) and ACCA (American Correctional Chaplains Association) for five years. He has nine years’ experience working as a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) through the APC (Association of Professional Chaplains). 3 He is a Certified Educator Candidate in the ACPE (Association of Clinical Pastoral Education) under the supervision of the Rev. Debra Slade, ACPE Certified Educator at Norwalk Hospital. Debra and Eric offer the only ACPE units specially designed to address the unique correctional environment. This Correctional CPE Program is supported by the Tow Foundation.

It’s Never Too Early to Plan Ahead Join us for future ACA Winter Conferences and Congresses of Correction!

150 th Congress of Correction Cincinnati Aug. 6–10, 2020 151 st Congress of Correction Nashville Aug. 12–17, 2021 152 nd Congress of Correction New Orleans Aug. 4–9, 2022

2021 Winter Conference Long Beach, California Feb. 4–9, 2021 2022 Winter Conference Phoenix Jan. 6–11, 2022 2023 Winter Conference Orlando Jan. 26–31, 2023

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NIJ Update

Understanding the Impacts of Corrections Officer Suicide By Natasha A. Frost, Ph.D.

Note: The research reported in this ar- ticle was supported by the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Justice or the U.S. Department of Justice. B etween 2010 and 2015, at least 20 corrections officers working for the Massachu- setts Department of Correction (MADOC) died by suicide. The average suicide rate for MADOC corrections officers over this period was approximately 105 per 100,000 – a rate that is at least seven times higher than the national suicide rate (14 per 100,000), and almost 12 times higher than the suicide rate for the state of Massachusetts (nine per 100,000). Some counties across Massachusetts also reported the loss of multiple officers to suicide over the same period, suggesting the phenomenon in state prisons was being mirrored in county correctional facilities. Even in the context of ris- ing suicide rates across the country, and recognizing the elevated risk for suicide in the protective service occupations, the number of suicides among corrections officers in Massa- chusetts has been unnerving.

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Our research team from North- eastern University initially learned of a growing suicide incidence through interviews we were conduct- ing with officers and sergeants who were taking part in an occupational stress study. During the interviews, a number of officers shared their concern about the recent suicides of colleagues, with several noting they themselves were only participating

in the stress study out of concern about those suicides. We had to stop interviewing at one of the correctional facilities temporarily when news reached us that another officer who worked there had just died by suicide. Around the same time, a local Fox news program ran several stories about the increases in officer suicide at the MADOC, featuring some of the families of officers who died.

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NIJ Update

Suicide prevention As university researchers already working with a state corrections department motivated to address the suicides that they too perceived as a growing problem, we asked the MADOC for more information. We thought we might see an identifiable pattern among the data they pro- vided. We were surprised when there wasn’t anything obvious. The offi- cers who had died between 2010 and 2015 included both men and women, roughly proportional to their repre- sentation in the workforce (which is male dominated). They ranged in age from 23 to 62, and had careers in corrections as short as six months and as long as 32 years. Fewer than half had military backgrounds. Among the ranks of those who died by suicide were officers, sergeants, lieutenants, and captains. Several had served as a deputy superintendent or higher. Most of the 16 prisons across the state had experienced at least one officer suicide, with a handful experiencing multiple suicides. In several years, there had been four to five suicides. The only outwardly obvious traits these officers had in common was that they all were working at the time, or had worked, for the MADOC, and they had all died by suicide. In 2016, my colleague Carlos Monteiro and I were awarded a fed- eral grant from the National Institute of Justice to work with the MADOC in conducting an expansive mixed methods study of suicide in correc- tions. We articulated five primary goals for this work: 1. Develop a nuanced understand- ing of the context within which officer suicide has occurred;

We also recognized that, for those left behind, a suicide loss is differ- ent from any other type of death, and that it is exceedingly difficult to de- scribe the impacts to anyone who has not been through it. Nonetheless, we wanted to try to convey the stories of these officers with an authenticity that can be relayed only through the words of those who had known the deceased person most intimately. Given the stigma still associated with suicide, we felt it was particularly comprehensively as possible, so that we could describe the way that they had lived, rather than focus exclusively on the way that they had died. To give those who knew these officers best the opportunity to tell the story of their loved one, we set out to find and interview the family members and close friends of the 20 officers who had died by suicide important to describe the officers’ lives as

2. Comprehensively assess the many impacts of correctional officer suicide on families, friends, and colleagues; 3. Better understand the impact of officer suicides on the institu- tional environment; 4. Identify correlates of (and risk factors for) anxiety, depres- sion, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation; and 5. Understand how the structure, function, and composition of officers’ social networks might be related to suicide ideation, as well as to indicators of well-being. Stigma and impact As a person who lost an immedi- ate family member to suicide, and who understands that the loss of a loved one to suicide is impossible to ever fully recover from, it was extremely important to me person- ally that we represent the officers who had died by suicide as more than simply statistics in a federally funded research study. The officers who had died were individuals with families and friends who loved them and who would have done whatever necessary to prevent the suicide, could they have done so. Given the stigma still associated with suicide, we felt it was particularly important to describe the officers’ lives as com- prehensively as possible, so that we could describe the way that they had lived, rather than focus exclusively on the way that they had died.

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in the period we were studying. We used the publicly available obituar- ies of the officers and tried to contact each of the people named as survi- vors. We contacted parents, siblings, spouses, adult children, and extended family. We tried to find close friends who had posted condolences on publicly available websites. North- eastern University’s institutional review board, which ensures the protection of human subjects during research experiments, required that we attempt to contact each individual at most twice, via a letter posted to the person’s last known address, and that we not proceed further until we received a return communication, in writing, expressing affirmative inter- est in interviewing with the research team. Given these restrictions, we were worried that few would write back, and that the reach of our case studies might be limited to our reviews of personnel files and

other documentation provided by the department. In fact, the response to our outreach to the families has been overwhelming. As of October 2019, we had heard from the families and friends of 17 of the 20 officers. We are deeply grateful for their will- ingness to speak with us because although our case studies involved more than the family and friend interviews, we felt we could fully do justice to the lives of those of- ficers only if we also learned about them from their immediate family and friends. We understood when, for some families, participation was simply too difficult and the experi- ence still too painful to recount. We are grateful to them as well, for their correspondence. All of our interviews were con- ducted in person, often in the homes of the officer’s family members, and we opened every interview by asking for a favorite memory of the officer.

This allowed the families to share their positive experiences of their loved one first. Although they were not asked to do so, most of the fami- lies brought photos, several sent or showed us videos, and some shared things their loved one had written. All of the families gave us rich de- scriptions of the officers’ lives. The love that these families and friends had for the officers was abundantly evident, and the depth of their loss was palpable. We were humbled by their willingness to share the good memories and to talk to strangers about what had often been the most devastating event of their lives. We left the interviews feeling as though we had come to know these offi- cers personally, even if only briefly. Though I never had the opportunity to meet any of the officers, I can bring their likeness to mind at the sight of their names. Sadly, as we interviewed officers currently working for the department for the second phase of

the research, we learned of more officers who had died by suicide during the pe- riod 2010-2015, and so we are still working on these case studies. Although we cannot yet say anything definitive, we can say with a relatively high degree of confidence that there were at least three distinct types of cases, and we can share some preliminary emerging themes common to all three types. To be clear, the suicide was shocking and devas- tating to every family we spent time with. However,

istock/Chinnapong

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with respect to some of the officers who died by suicide, the fam- ily explained that there had been a relatively lengthy history of anxiety, depression, or both. In several of the cases, there were previous suicide at- tempts – in some cases, the attempts dated back to adolescence. The family was aware that the officer was struggling, and family members were actively doing everything they could to intervene. Even in these families, the suicide event was unpredicted and unpredictable. Preventing the unexpected In a related set of cases, there was not a known history of mental health struggles, but the officers were known to be experiencing particularly acute personal struggles at the time that they died. These of- ficers tended to have been perceived as emotionally and behaviorally stable until they had confronted a particularly significant, recent life challenge. Although these challenges were in some instances very clearly work-related, with several officers facing discipline or demotion, more often they were personal. For almost all of the officers, personal and occu- pational struggles were inextricable. Several of the officers were in the midst of difficult divorces and child custody disputes. Quite a few were battling growing problems with substance use. Some were fighting chronic pain from injuries, often sustained at work. Several were fighting with the department to have the lingering effects of those workplace injuries recognized. In these cases, which were about equal to the number with known mental health histories, there were clear

precipitating events. These officers were facing an ongoing existen- tial crisis, and their families were concerned, but typically not about the potential for suicide. Frequently, these were officers who had recently retired or were hoping to retire soon. Across the officers, very few had dreamed of being a corrections officer, but most had been excited for the opportunity when they first took the job. Then there were the handful of cases where there quite literally seemed to have been no signs of any preexisting struggle that family or friends could identify. These suicides seemed to the family to come out of nowhere, and were possibly trig- gered by a single event. We describe these as impulsive suicides — these officers seem to have simply lost per- spective in a moment, making a snap decision with devastating and lasting consequences. In these cases, there was a triggering event, but none of the precursors. These officers tended to be among the youngest officers, and their deaths are among the most difficult to comprehend. Across the officers, very few had

dreamed of being a corrections offi- cer, but most had been excited for the opportunity when they first took the job. For some, that initial excitement faded only over time, while others seemed to struggle with the realities of the work almost immediately. Al- though there were certainly officers who seemed to like their jobs and rarely complained, we walked away from a handful of the interviews feel- ing like the person never should have pursued work in corrections. As may already be clear, it is difficult to generalize about these cases. As we came to “know” these officers through our extensive case study methodology, we realized that it would be exceedingly difficult to describe them in collective terms without recognizing more differences than commonalities. As we use what we have learned from families and friends to write about the officers, most likely in a book that we plan to write over the coming year, we will do our best to fulfill our commitment of telling the stories of the officers’ lives and not just their deaths. Researching workplace wellness In June 2018, we launched the second phase of this research, which involves one-on-one interviews with officers of all ranks who are currently working at the MADOC. The interview is conducted at their workplace, during their shift, in a private room with one of our inter- viewers. We have now conducted these intensive interviews with a random sample of more than 300 officers at all of the facilities across the MADOC. We have conducted almost 100 additional interviews

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with officers who volunteered to speak with us, some of whom had known at least one of the officers who had died. We had just a handful of interviews left to complete as of October 2019. As part of these interviews, we ask the officers questions about their own health and well-being. We also ask about their personal experiences with suicide including whether (and how well) they knew any of the officers who have died by suicide. We administer a series of validated instruments to assess their self-reported levels of anxiety, de- pression, post-traumatic stress and suicidal ideation. We ask questions about their sleep patterns and their alcohol use, about their stress levels, and about the amount of conflict in their work and family lives. We ask them what they think the department should be doing about suicide. Perhaps the most innovative part of our second-phase work is our egocentric social network analy- sis — a tool used to understand the structure and function of an indi- vidual’s network ties. We open the interview with a series of questions about the people that officer knows, trusts, or can rely on for different types of needs. Then we ask some questions about the people named, including how well each of those people knows each other. We hope this aspect of our study will help further our understanding of the size, structure, and density of of- ficers’ social networks, and of the protective (or isolating) functions that those social networks can serve. We worry that some officers’ social networks become more constrained,

and their social worlds more isolat- ed, as they become more embedded in the work of corrections. We are particularly concerned about the effects that shiftwork, and working certain shifts, can have on officers’ personal and professional lives. We anticipate that the social network analysis will only become more impactful as we begin to develop a longitudinal study following offi- cers’ well-being over time (from the academy onward). Perhaps the most innovative part of our second-phase work is our egocentric social network analysis — a tool used to understand the structure and function of an individual’s network ties. Promoting mental wellness As we have traveled around the country, describing our research and sharing what we are learn- ing, I am struck by just how often I am approached by an officer or

administrator from a department of corrections in another state who wants to share that they too have recently lost a disproportionate (and often shocking) number of col- leagues to suicide. We have learned over these past three years that what we thought might be an anomaly is probably not an anomaly at all. We are only now beginning the work of analyzing the extensive data we have collected over these past three years. In 2020, we look forward to sharing the results of this research with the families who have lost a loved one, and with the correc- tional and broader law enforcement communities. Although we believe that it is almost impossible to predict suicide, and therefore it has proven exceedingly difficult to prevent, we hope to use what we find to develop a better understanding of some of the risk factors for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and suicidal ideation that can serve as precursors to suicide. Like the families who agreed to meet with us to share some memo- ries and to describe the devastating impact of the loss of their husband, wife, son, daughter, father, brother, sister, uncle or best friend, we hope that this work will eventually mean that the family of another officer might never have to know the endur- ing pain of suicide.

Natasha Frost is a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, you can email her at

n.frost@northeastern.edu.

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