Corrections_Today_November_December_2021_Vol.83_No.6

Health & Wellness Expo

Being healthy, staying well Meeting the challenge to keep correctional staff healthy and well A s ACA Executive Director James A. Gondles, Jr. emphasized in his remarks during the general session: “For too long, we’ve not bothered about the wellness of our staff.” That was not the case at the Health and Wellness Expo on the concourse of the Music City Center during the 151 st Congress of Correction. Conference attendees buzzed around the many activities promoting both healthy lifestyles and relaxing pursuits. Attendees could learn about healthy food choices, exercise routines and get a wellness check from qualified nurses on duty. A very popular choice for weary conference goers were the massage stations where the stresses of the day could be rubbed away by massage therapists. Other attendees took advantage of the giant Jenga and Connect 4 games to spend a few moments competing with fellow attendees and enjoying their time outside the busy schedule of workshops, exhibit halls and networking. The expo was part of a renewed emphasis on staff wellness for correctional officers. ACA President Tony Parker sponsored “Meet the Challenge” for staff wellness during the past year. A raft of facilities from all across the country participated in the challenge, coming up with their own ideas on how to present health ideas to staff and to incentivize healthy behavior for staff. It was a challenging year to advocate for correctional staff health and wellness. As the pandemic continued, frontline correctional staff stepped up the fight against COVID-19. In addition,

correctional staff endured longer hours thanks to countrywide labor shortages and staff turnover. ACA is searching for ways to help correctional officers meet these critical challenges. As Mr. Gondles went on to say “ACA is the leader in the American correctional industry, others try to follow our lead with wellness fairs and the like but just remember, we’re #1.”

— Kirk Raymond

Special thanks to our donors: NDIVIDUAL Donors

Charles & Ellen Kehoe, Betty & Jim Gondles, Michael Miskell, Harmony Goorley, Denise Robinson, Thomas Stickrath and Linda Janes Corporate Donors Aramark, Management & Training Corporation, Corizon Health, The Change Companies, Centers for Mindfulness in Public Safety, PSIMED, Keefe Group, Alvis, Inc., Falcon, Inc., Oriana House, Inc., Desert Water and Virginia Correctional Association

Corrections Today November/December 2021 — 43