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
February 23, 2026
Prison staff overtime costing Nevada taxpayers millions of dollars
The amount of overtime for prison staff continues to grow, which means more money is coming out of taxpayers' pockets. As for next steps, all of the union leaders agreed they hope they can reach a resolution with lawmakers to come up with more funding to cut down on the violence and risks for all involved.
"Working behind the walls and razor wire of a correctional institution, aka prison, is unlike any other law enforcement job. We leave our families, our loved ones, and in a world where I cannot even begin to explain the perils, risks and overall danger that we face on a daily basis," said correctional officer Larry Nava. "Violence is the biggest issue in correctional facilities, which is spawned by drug use and drug debt. Whether it's staff assault, inmate-on-inmate assaults, or deaths, the issue is out of control."
Read ArticleFebruary 20, 2026
House Democrats pressure Bureau of Prisons leadership on staffing ‘crisis’
House Democrats are pressing leaders at the Federal Bureau of Prisons for details on their plans to address major and long-time staffing shortages across the frontline BOP workforce.
A letter sent Friday to BOP Director William K. Marshall III from top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee warned that workforce issues have reached a “crisis point,” leading to operational challenges and unsafe conditions in the federal prison system.
Read ArticleFebruary 20, 2026
Nevada prison system OT continues to spiral; officers criticize state leaders
Leaders from Nevada’s correctional officers union bemoaned the prison system’s widespread staffing shortages and worsening overtime payouts, pointing fingers at everyone from the governor’s office and agency director to state lawmakers.
Data presented at Thursday’s Interim Finance Committee meeting — a group of lawmakers that makes spending decisions when the Legislature is not in session — shows the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) paid out more than $18 million in overtime from July through September 2025. It marked a more than $7 million surge from the prior three months and the highest quarterly amount of overtime spending for the agency in at least two years.
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