Officer Safety
Officer Safety is a critical concern within correctional facilities, focusing on protecting staff from physical harm and ensuring a secure working environment. This directory provides articles and resources on best practices, training, and equipment that enhance the safety of correctional officers. Understanding the importance of officer safety helps develop strategies to mitigate risks and respond effectively to threats. For further insights, explore our section on Defensive Tactics.
The union said prison violence is worsened by staffing shortages, with 33,516 inmates in state prisons but a total of 14,276 COs as of Nov. 1., the lowest level in two decades
Philadelphia’s jail population has dropped, with about 4,500 people now incarcerated — nearly half as many as in 2015, according to Pennsylvania Department of Prisons data
The Hillsborough County Detention Center deputy suffered a broken left orbital bone and a cut to his eye in the struggle with an inmate
The assault was meant as revenge after the CO used pepper spray to break up a fight
Oak Park Heights CO Joe Parise suffered a medical emergency last month shortly after helping a fellow officer
Anthony Gangi sits down with a panel of experts to discuss the One Voice Initiative
The inmate allegedly attacked a sheriff’s deputy, hitting him in the head with a large plastic bin and choking the victim
“The dangerously low staffing levels at all of our correctional facilities mean that incidents like this one will continue to escalate in severity,” the union leader said
At facilities across the country, correctional officers have been treated for symptoms of fentanyl exposure; here’s what you need to know to stay safe
Upgrades include chips in inmates’ bracelets and scannable wall panels on detention pods logging when a CO checks in
A previous request for 150 new officers had an estimated cost of over $10 million
A jury deliberated for less than three hours before reaching a guilty verdict in the death of female correctional officer Mari Johnson
In order to survive in corrections, officers must be able to protect themselves
Thomas S. Vile, 65, reportedly threw a cup of urine at officers who were attempting to extract him from his cell
Correctional officers are outnumbered; two officers are sometimes responsible for almost 250 inmates
The Corrections Department says increased violence is due to efforts to reduce use of solitary confinement
A judge previously recommended both complaints be dismissed, finding the woman not credible in her accusations
The department said the facilities “sustained significant damage to roofs and security infrastructure” but reiterated that “staff and inmates were not injured during the storm”
The CO filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction prohibiting the CDCR from denying light-duty positions to pregnant officers
Phone lines and email services were down at several state prisons, leaving many unable to get answers
The defendants attacked three officers, causing numerous injuries, including a fractured orbital wall, fractured shoulder, fractured thumb, lacerations and bruises
The inmate repeatedly threatened to shoot a CO, telling that officer he intended to shoot him as his family watched
The classes will “keep youth engaged” and the new windows will “limit distractions during class”
Downed communications lines and spotty cellphone towers plagued the Panhandle, affecting several prisons
Law enforcement officers had used K9s and a helicopter to help search for the two inmates
Officials say the cost would be offset by safer prisons, fewer drug-smuggling gangs, and fewer addicted inmates cycling back to communities
The four defendants are among 18 inmates charged in the riot in which one CO was and three other staffers were held hostage
A state board will be called in to settle the conflict
Kristopher’s Law is named for Kristopher D. Moules, an officer who died during an altercation with an inmate in 2016
When sleep-deprived, “Individuals working critical jobs may put themselves and [others] at risk,” one researcher said
The officers were hurt in two separate incidents while trying to break up a fight and contain an inmate
The officers — who watch the 16 and 17-year-old inmates at the recently-opened center — were all hurt trying to quell a brawl between inmates in a classroom
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