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
June 15, 2025
Arizona lawmakers' push for independent prison oversight stalls
Two Republican state lawmakers are making a last-ditch effort to set up a permanent independent panel to keep watch on the state prison system. Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, managed to get the Senate to approve her plan to set up the Office of Independent Corrections Ombudsman to investigate complaints involving the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Proponents said it would provide lawmakers, who fund the agency, the information they need to know how well it is doing its job.
But the efforts stalled in the House.
Read ArticleJune 13, 2025
Stockard on the Stump: Private-prison operator to see inmate reduction after riot
FAMM / OVU mention, Matthew Charles and Andy Potter quoted - The Tennessee Department of Correction will be reducing the number of inmates at privately-run Trousdale Turner in the wake of a prison riot that injured a staffer and inmates, according to state officials.
“The recent events at Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility are as horrific as they are unsurprising and preventable,” said Matthew Charles, state legislative affairs manager of the nonprofit FAMM, which advocates for incarcerated people and their families. “Violence and chaos have pervaded Trousdale Turner since its opening in 2016. The people who live and work there fear for their lives on a daily basis.”
The U.S. Department of Justice started a civil rights investigation into Trousdale Turner last year based on reports showing high death rates and sexual violence, partly as a result of understaffing and constant turnover. FAMM, which urged the federal probe, has been advocating for independent prison oversight in Tennessee, Charles said, adding violence continues at Trousdale Turner despite the investigation.
Andy Potter, executive director of One Voice United, an advocacy group for corrections officers, said staff and inmates are being put at risk.
“While the riot at Trousdale Turner was resolved without loss of life, this incident underscores the harsh reality of a correctional system pushed past its limits, suffering from chronic understaffing, insufficient training and a lack of oversight that has led to increasingly dangerous conditions,” Potter said in a statement.
Read ArticleJune 12, 2025
Labor board orders NM prisons have safe staffing levels
The State Public Employee Labor Relations Board has issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the New Mexico Corrections Department from implementing staffing changes not negotiated with union officials.
American Federal of State County and Municipal Employees officials say department officials refuse to negotiate in good faith, instead making unilateral changes to staffing that create unsafe conditions inside state prisons.
A spokesperson for the Corrections Department declined to comment on the union action but said the agency prioritizes safety and recognizes adequate staffing is essential to the success of the state prison system.
Vacancy rates in most state-run prisons are below 20%, according to the state. Union officials say vacancy rates are closer to 30% or 40%.
Read Article