We are in the midst of a profound crisis in our nation’s correctional system.
Across the country, our nation’s prisons are dangerously understaffed and overcrowded.
Policymakers must act now to protect the health and safety of correctional staff, incarcerated people, and the public at large.
Prisons across the country are dangerously understaffed, overcrowded, and plagued by rapidly deteriorating conditions.
One Voice United (OVU) and FAMM, two leading organizations representing correctional staff (OVU) and incarcerated people and their families (FAMM), have joined together to form the Safer Prisons, Safer Communities campaign.
For too long, our constituencies have been pitted against one another while the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues, friends, and loved ones has suffered. While it may be surprising to some people that we would work together to draw attention to this crisis, we know our fates are intertwined and we have a shared goal of ensuring the health and safety of everyone who works and lives in prison.
EndorseFor too long, our constituencies have been pitted against one another while the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues, friends, and loved ones has suffered. While it may be surprising to some people that we would work together to draw attention to this crisis, we know our fates are intertwined and we have a shared goal of ensuring the health and safety of everyone who works and lives in prison.
SAFER PRISONS SAFER COMMUNITIES
In The News
March 17, 2026
California Proposes Ending Prison Heat Rule Exemption as Temperatures Rise
The potentially record-shattering heat wave roasting California this week reminds Lawrence Cox of the people locked in suffocating state prison cells with no windows.
Temperatures inside aging prison buildings can climb much higher than outdoors, with little to no relief, said Cox, who was formerly incarcerated at correctional facilities in Solano, Kern and Imperial counties.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation holds nearly 90,000 incarcerated people, many of whom are required to work, and more than 58,000 employees. But the state’s largest agency has been exempted from required worker protections against dangerous heat that apply to most other job sites in California.
State workplace safety regulators are now proposing to end that carve-out.
Read ArticleMarch 16, 2026
After Va. correctional officer’s killing, widow pushes for prison safety reforms
Following the fatal attack at River North Correctional Center, Corrections Officer Jeremy Hall’s widow is urging oversight and better pay to address staffing and safety concerns
Read ArticleMarch 16, 2026
Philadelphia prisons report a boost in staffing as Council considers new oversight board
Philadelphia’s prison system has made progress on hiring after years of staffing shortages, a shift officials say is helping improve conditions for people in custody as City Council considers establishing a Prison Community Oversight Board.
Read Article