Due to the nature of the job, your career in corrections comes with many risks. In addition to threats of violence and physical harm, your job places you at higher risk for chronic mental and physical health issues. This can include severe depression, suicide, anxiety, diabetes, and heart disease. Regular exposure to violence, trauma, stress, and anxiety promote poor health behaviors, and these can place you at risk of obesity.
Research shows that correctional workers tend to underreport their stress and negative emotions, which may restrict their access to resources that can lead them to embrace healthy coping strategies. The unhealthy lifestyles are further reinforced by long work shifts, assignment to sedentary tasks, limited food options, and stressful work environments.
During the ACA Winter Conference 2025, the National Institute of Corrections will host a workshop on Practical Nutrition Tips in Corrections. Its purpose is to provide you with a holistic approach to improving your own nutrition and health. By the end of the session, NIC hopes that you will be inspired to make even the slightest of changes that can improve your health and well-being.
Session Learning Objectives:
- Identify healthy and unhealthy coping behaviors that can affect your health positively or negatively.
- Identify practical tips for including better nutrition in your everyday eating habits.
- Identify practical strategies to use in the workplace to promote healthier nutrition and holistic health.
For more staff wellness and resiliency resources, click the link to learn more about the conference.
Location: Room W240 A
Presenters
Sandy Cathcart, BSW, MS
National Programs Advisor, National Institute of Corrections
Sandy Cathcart, BSW, MS, is a Correctional Program Specialist with the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) – Jails Division and has been in this capacity since September 2014. She manages Crisis Intervention Teams training, Mental Health Systems in Jails, Mental Health First Aid training, Correctional Case Management for Jails and Management Development for Minorities and Women. Sandy worked in local corrections for 27 years between the Baltimore City Jail and the Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities in Maryland. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (with licensure), a Master’s Degree in Correctional Administration, and a Certificate in Human Services Management. She has served as a member of a New Jail Transition team, a Unit Manager of female housing, a manager of classification, a policy and procedure writer, a certified trainer, a Social Work Associate, and a Criminal Justice and Social Work Adjunct Professor for the Anne Arundel Community College. Sandy was instrumental in developing a jail-based Correctional Case Management System for the Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Before her employment with NIC, she served as the Assistant Correctional Facility Administrator of Inmate Services for the Jennifer Road Detention Center in Annapolis, Maryland.
Lisa A. Jaegers, PhD, OTR/L
Associate Professor
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Doisy College of Health Sciences, Saint Louis University
Lisa Jaegers, PhD, OTR/L, is Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at Saint Louis University (SLU). Jaegers is an academic leader in bridging correctional workplace safety and health with the needs of people incarcerated. Jaegers has designed and evaluated reentry services since 2015 and works with city, state and community agencies to consider solutions to reduce recidivism and promote community health. She is co-leader of the National Corrections Collaborative, a network of corrections leaders, labor representatives, and researchers working together to advance safety and health promotion for corrections workers and incarcerated populations. Jaegers has completed numerous studies using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - NIOSH Total Worker Health® strategy and co-directs a National Institute of Corrections project to identify resources for reducing trauma and organizational stress among correctional workers. After practicing as an occupational therapist for 10 years in industrial rehabilitation, Jaegers completed her doctoral studies at SLU in public health and has been a professor there since 2014.
Lauren Landfried, PhD, RD, LD, FAND
Associate Professor, Contributing Author
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics; Doisy College of Health Sciences; Saint Louis University
Lauren Landfried, PhD, RD, LD, FAND, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Saint Louis University. She has had over 16 years of experience working in health promotion and nutrition-related activities through her roles at Saint Louis University and through a contract with the City of St. Louis Department of Health. She recently partnered with an addiction treatment outpatient facility, providing nutrition education and services for people struggling with coping mechanisms. In addition, she also partnered with a physician working to improve healthcare for people post-incarceration to provide nutrition counseling services as well as snacks for the participants served. Using a “food as medicine” philosophy, Lauren’s approach is rooted in nourishment for the mind, body, and spirit.
