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
December 31, 2025
Maryland correctional officers warn of rising violence, staffing crisis as 2026 approaches
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December 29, 2025
Maryland prison killings rise to decade high amid staffing shortage
Thirteen incarcerated people have been killed by other prisoners this year, state officials said, marking the highest total in recent history. The growing number of homicides comes as the Maryland prison population has shrunk considerably since the COVID-19 pandemic. AFSCME Maryland Council 3, the union representing Maryland correctional officers, blamed the worsening safety on low staffing levels.
Stuart Katzenberg, the union’s director of collective bargaining and growth, said prisons need to hire thousands of new officers in addition to filling open vacancies. He said correctional officers are frequently conscripted into overtime shifts, resulting in extra costs for the state and officer burnout that drives many to leave for other jobs.
Read ArticleDecember 25, 2025
‘Headed down a dangerous path': Va. CO warned leaders of ‘unsafe’ conditions months before colleague was killed
Five months before a fatal attack on a prison guard, a lieutenant at River North Correctional Center wrote an email to top leadership at the Virginia Department of Corrections, warning that a crisis was just around the corner.
The email warned of “unsafe conditions” and reflect safety concerns that have been well-documented at the Virginia Department of Corrections. In November 2024, a consultant for the agency visited every prison in the commonwealth and told agency leadership that many were “dangerously understaffed.” The report found that three prisons were under 50% staffing at that time, as well as repeated violations of safety protocols designed to protect both inmates and correctional staff.
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