At Safer Prisons. Safer Communities. we aim to raise awareness of the critical issues facing our nation’s prisons, like understaffing, overcrowding, and how these problems impact incarcerated people, prison staff, and the broader community. saferprisonssafercommunities…

A federal judge in Texas will soon decide whether the lack of air-conditioning inside Texas prisons during the sweltering summer heat amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Extreme heat worsens staffing shortages, fuels violence, and puts lives at risk. bit.ly/4cNJKwr

Members of the House Judiciary Committee are warning of a federal staffing crisis. Shortages of correctional officers, healthcare workers, and mental health staff are driving lockdowns, increased violence, and reduced access to care & programming. fedweek.com/federal-managers…

From @MLive: The @MichiganDOC is taking measures to improve safety and security inside the state’s prisons and address the department's shortage of correctional officers, which has led to an explosion of overtime hours. mlive.com/news/2026/03/michi…

Connecticut’s prison system is in “sustained institutional failure,” per a report covered by @CTMirror. Staff shortages are driving lockdowns that cut off medical care, visitation, and basic movement, leaving people confined to cells for extended periods. bit.ly/4bTHROj

Federal prisons are so understaffed that psychologists, teachers, and other workers are being pulled into correctional officer roles. @MarshallProj finds that fewer people are available for health care, programming, and crisis response. bit.ly/4tiH5lc

.@TheNVIndy reports that Nevada’s Department of Corrections is spending tens of millions on overtime, in part because they don’t have enough staff. Chronic understaffing doesn’t just cost more; it makes facilities less safe for everyone inside them. bit.ly/4m4eMV5

.@NCHealthNews covers the prison staffing crisis in North Carolina where longer shifts, fewer breaks, and high turnover are pushing corrections staff to the brink. Mandatory overtime and low pay also continue to fuel burnout and departures. bit.ly/4boGwyH

.@Prisonology: Vacant medical positions are adding to the country’s prison understaffing crisis. Meanwhile, the federal prison population continues to age, increasing demand for precisely the kind of medical expertise the BOP cannot retain. bit.ly/3NAaojO

In an op-ed for @carolinajournal on the correctional officer shortage in NC prisons, @JustinKeener writes: "We can and must do better. It starts with recruiting and retaining more corrections officers and staff, which will only happen with better pay." bit.ly/47jLI63

According to a new report, overtime costs for federal correctional officers between 2016-2022 more than doubled to $275 million even though staffing fell from about 19,000 to about 15,600. @fedweek covers other key findings: bit.ly/4s7OFi5

Extreme cold weather is associated with an 11% increased mortality rate in prisons. @MarshallProj documents a recent day-long power outage in Mississippi that affected temperature control in facilities and put incarcerated people at risk. bit.ly/4rzQ0y6

New Hampshire’s prison staffing crisis is at an extreme level. In 2023, the state deployed the National Guard to help staff, and the vacancy rate for corrections officers is still 47%. Read how the state is trying to increase hiring in @BusinessNHMag: bit.ly/3P8b1Sf

Using the National Guard is not a sustainable solution to the prison staffing crisis. Yet, NY prisons have been doing this for a year and it is set to cost the state more than $1 billion. Read the latest in @Gothamist: bit.ly/3NJX5Nv

Thanks to substantial pay raises in 2023, Alabama is making progress toward fixing a long-time severe shortage of correctional officers, but staffing still remains below the court-ordered goal. @aldotcom reports on the statewide staffing shortage. bit.ly/4aMcTZk

Colorado prisons are dangerously understaffed. According to a 2024 report from @ccjrc1, incarcerated people can’t access medical, mental health, education, or treatment programs without enough staff. bit.ly/4qzNese

While prison staffing in SD has hit its highest level in years, turnover of corrections officers remains a major problem as recent hires often quit within 6 months. @SDSearchlight reports on the changes the state is implementing to retain officers. bit.ly/4s9cPZp

Citing elevated suicide rates and the unique dangers of working inside correctional facilities, @GLFOP has voiced their support for a bill that will improve mental health screening and care for corrections officers. Read the letter in @CorrectionsOne: bit.ly/3Oq7jTL

Severe cold poses serious risks inside U.S. prisons. During a recent winter storm two Mississippi prisons temporarily lost power amid freezing temps. @MSTODAYnews reports on how such conditions affect both incarcerated people and correctional officers. bit.ly/4qMpZdS