On August 10-13, 2023, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) attended the 153rd Congress of Correction in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hosted by the American Correctional Association (ACA). The event attracts thousands of correctional staff, students, and researchers each year for corrections-related workshops and networking.   

NIC Director (A) Alix McLearen provided remarks at a director’s meeting of the Correctional Leaders Association. NIC staff, meanwhile, conducted workshops at the ACA conference.  

“Preparing for a Multidisciplinary Approach to Mitigate Risk: Implementation of Guidelines for Managing Substance Abuse in Jails” was moderated by NIC Jails Division Chief Stephen Amos. The workshop helped participants learn how to assess their organization’s readiness to implement recommendations from the newly released Guidelines for Managing Substance Abuse in Jails, describe the decision process and multidisciplinary team approach required to care for incarcerated people at risk of withdrawal, and identify solutions to potential implementation issues. The session was co-presented by Meg Chapman, policy advisor with the Bureau of Justice Assistance; Geoff Stobart, Chief Deputy with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Columbus, Ohio; and Dr. Marc Stern, chief medical advisor for the National Sheriffs’ Association, American Jail Association, and Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, affiliate assistant professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Washington, and clinical professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Albany. 

In a session titled “Workforce Development: Assessing the Risk…Meeting the Needs,” NIC Correctional Program Specialist P. Elizabeth Taylor delivered an interactive presentation on the components of an effective workforce development program. Session attendees also discussed the benefits of correctional industries programming, identified the training needs of workforce development practitioners, and learned how to navigate “Correctional Industries: A Guide to Reentry-Focused Performance Excellence,” a Web-based resource developed to help correctional industries programs nationwide maximize their effectiveness. The session was co-presented by Amy Pataluna, executive director of the National Correctional Industries Association, and Karen Brown, former director of Correction Enterprises in North Carolina. 

“Veteran Intercepts in the Criminal Justice System: Focusing on Intercepts 4-5” was presented by NIC Correctional Program Specialist Greg Crawford. The purpose of the workshop was to help participants develop a better understanding of the Veteran Sequential Intercept Model and the intervention strategies that are available at select intercepts to assist military veterans who have found themselves negatively involved in the criminal justice system. The session was co-presented by Jessica Blue-Howells, Deputy Director of Veterans Justice Programs for the U.S. Veterans Administration; Dr. Ron Self, Executive Director of Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out, United States Marine Corps Veteran, and formerly incarcerated individual from San Quentin Prison; and John Darcy, Guidance Specialist for Veterans Services with the New York Department of Corrections and Supervision. 

NIC Correctional Program Specialists Belinda Stewart and Katie Reick co-presented “#GenderMatters in Corrections: An In-Depth Look at the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA).” The session summarized NIC’s commitment to helping agencies institute gender-responsive strategies for justice-involved women and presented the history and development of the WRNA. Participants also learned about the nuances of interviewing and assessment skills, assessment-driven case planning, and implementation associated with the WRNA. The session with co-presented by Dr. Emily Salisbury, associate professor with the University of Utah, director of the Utah Criminal Justice Center, and director of the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment Lab.

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) recently sponsored the development of a nationally recognized training program to prepare facilitators to assist survivors with a victim-centered, victim-driven dialogue with the incarcerated persons who caused them harm. Throughout the country, this post-conviction victim service is referred to by many names, including victim-offender dialogue (VOD), victim-offender mediation, victim-offender mediation/dialogue, facilitated dialogue, and others. As a corrections-based victims service, VODs have been conducted in conjunction with people involved in a variety of crimes of severe violence and violation for more than two-and-a-half decades in the United States. Today, several states are increasingly recognizing the importance of VODs within the prison system for victims, survivors, and those who committed crimes.

One of the most important keys to a successful VOD outcome lies in the quality of the training and experience of VOD facilitators. VODs are not mere “conversations,” they are deeply complex interactions that follow a thorough, sensitive, trauma-informed, and discerning process of preparation, which is where the quality of a facilitator’s training is most critical. Formal training is so essential that states without their own VOD training partner with neighboring states to fill the gap. This year, the National Institute of Corrections partnered with the National Association of Victims Assistance in Corrections to create and provide the first national curriculum and training for new VOD facilitators.

The new curriculum was designed using a combination of synchronous virtual instructor-led training (VILT)/online sessions; inter-session asynchronous assignments, which included case studies, videos, scenarios, and enactments; and three days of in-person training. The online portion of the new curriculum was piloted on June 27-29, and the in-person session was held in Aurora, CO, on July 11-13. Participants of the pilot included 27 participants and represented 20 states. Only those agencies with existing VOD programs were eligible to nominate participants for piloting the new curriculum.

Recognizing the unique differences these programs have from state to state, this training focused on fundamentals of VOD that are common across the country while also providing examples of how some programs differ. Participants who completed NIC’s national training are still required to take state-specific training on their policies and procedures and should be mentored as they begin to provide VOD services. Future cohorts of the class will allow states without their own VOD training to participate.

On June 13-15, 2023, the National Institute of Corrections reconvened its latest in-person meeting of the Mental Health Network (MHN) at the National Corrections Academy in Aurora, CO. This annual event was previously paused for three years beginning in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MHN is composed of one representative director or chief of mental health services from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the six largest jail systems. MHN members have expertise in the delivery of correctional mental and behavioral health services and seek to advance this scientific field of study through innovative research strategies, training, and the dissemination of knowledge about evidence-based and best practices.

This year, nearly half of all attendees were new members, which may not be surprising considering that post-pandemic employee turnover was discussed during the network meeting as a critical issue affecting systems nationwide. Thousands of licensed mental health professionals have left their correctional positions for other opportunities. It is part of what some call the “Great Resignation,” and for corrections, it leaves many systems to augment unfilled positions with unskilled staff.

Transgender care was another hot topic with attendees examining the medical treatment and housing options for people based on their gender identification and status of sex reassignment. Legal issues were a major concern as was protecting the safety of incarcerated men and women who do not identify as transgender.

While addressed each year, the suicide rate of incarcerated individuals was another concern. Attendees were eager to find and share solutions that could prevent suicides in real time and at no cost.

The mission of MHN is to establish, support, and advance correctional mental and behavioral health standards so that jurisdictions may appropriately deliver constitutionally adequate and effective services to incarcerated individuals. The MHN strives to be the premier organization that correctional leadership turns to for guidance concerning mental and behavioral health questions, concerns, and affirmation.

Snide remarks, backhanded compliments, gaslighting. These are just a few of the ways that incivility appears in the workplace. Leaders and employees who are uncivil to others are motivated by their own self-interests, choosing to manipulate situations for their own advantage rather than for everyone’s benefit. Seemingly innocent, these microaggressions can lower morale and decrease employee performance. Knowing the causes of incivility, its consequences, and how to promote civility in the workplace can help correctional leaders and employees build psychologically safe environments where everyone grows and thrives. With this in mind, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) developed a two-part webinar series called Promoting Civility in the Correctional Workplace to expose the detrimental consequences of incivility in corrections and what staff and leaders can do about it.  

Leaders and managers play an important role in cultivating civility in the workplace. Certain leadership and management styles promote civility and create an organizational culture where employees feel valued and respected. If leaders and managers use effective approaches that raise awareness about the existence and consequences of workplace incivility, they will be better positioned to create a civil climate in the workplace that fosters a healthy organization. 

“Part One: The Causes and Effects of Workplace Incivility on Employees” is the first webinar in the incivility series and discusses how incivility both directly and indirectly affects the health of an organization. The webinar focuses on the challenges that people who experience incivility face and the patterns that those who engage in uncivil behavior display. The training emphasizes the benefits of civility and the role that every correctional professional plays in addressing workplace incivility. 

“Part Two: The Role of Leaders and Managers in Cultivating a Workplace of Civility” explores practical strategies for leaders and managers to address uncivil and disrespectful behavior immediately. Specifically, leadership and management styles and effective strategies for cultivating a civility-based environment are presented while the inherent value of civility in a correctional environment is highlighted.  

Research indicates that some roles within the correctional workforce are the most stressful public safety jobs in the United States. For this reason, the webinar also addresses the significance of civility in increasing mental wellness and the longevity of staff members. The training emphasizes the benefits of a civility-based work environment for the ongoing safety of staff, incarcerated individuals, and the general public. 

This webinar is presented by Dr. Rowlanda Cawthon, Dean and Associate Professor, Northwest University and Managing Principle of Rowlanda Cawthon & Associates, LLC. 

Learn more about workplace civility, working with challenging staff, and other corrections workplace-related topics in NIC’s Corrections Staffing Resource Center.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a life-altering condition that can stem from any type of traumatic experience. Much of our current knowledge about PTSD comes from research on service members and veterans of war. This research has determined that combat and other lifespan traumas and PTSD are highly prevalent among veterans who have had contact with the criminal justice system, through incarceration and otherwise.

As a center of learning, innovation, and leadership that shapes and advances correction practice and public policy, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) continues to address the critical needs of justice-involved veterans and the corrections professionals who work with them. It is estimated that veterans represent 7 to 8 percent of the criminal justice system. The prevalence of PTSD among veterans ranges from 10 to 30 percent, depending upon the magnitude of exposure they have had to war zone stressors. One misconception about PTSD among veterans is that it afflicts only those who directly experienced combat. Personnel in non-combat but equally key roles can also experience severe trauma. Medical staff in field hospitals, for example, can become overwhelmed by the horrific injuries they treat. Transportation drivers can become terrified by driving on a highway or a quiet country lane due to prior encounters with improvised explosive devices and/or roadside bombs during their deployment in a combat zone.

PTSD among veterans is often a lifespan mental and behavioral health burden. If not addressed early, PTSD can become entrenched and affect quality of life and functioning. There is also a high risk for self-medication and abuse of alcohol and/or drugs, loss of stable housing, unemployment, suicidal ideation, and involvement in the criminal justice system.

After serving in the military, many veterans feel a sense of camaraderie among other who have served; when they return home, they can feel isolated, lonely, and misunderstood among others without a military history. Our goal at NIC is to advance practices and help educate the field about the underlying mental health issues related to military service and how to best work with the veterans in our criminal justice populations. NIC’s efforts aim to improve public safety by holding justice-involved veterans accountable while – at the same time – provide opportunities to help veterans rehabilitate, find their sense of purpose again, and return to their families and communities ready to thrive.

NIC has a variety of resources available to the field on its Justice-Involved Veterans Microsite. These resources are designed to help criminal justice agencies implement or improve upon veteran-specific programming and to bring awareness to issues like PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and other service-related mental health issues. Our veterans microsite can be accessed here: https://info.nicic.gov/jiv/

Additional resources for PTSD can be found at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

If you or a some you know has been diagnosed with PTSD or may be suffering from symptoms of PTSD, please encourage them to seek help through the VA or other community resources.