Viewing Justice Reinvestment from a Correctional Officer’s Perspective
This policy brief adds a new dimension to MassINC’s body of research on Justice Reinvestment by examining the role of correctional officers in prisons and jails focused on recidivism reduction. The analysis highlights the opportunity Massachusetts has achieved through significant reductions in correctional populations. For the first time in a generation, prison crowding is no longer endemic in Massachusetts and low staff ratios allow correctional officers to successfully perform a multi-dimensional role that includes providing both supervision and rehabilitative support.
With a legislative commission currently undertaking a thorough review of funding needs for all state and county correctional facilities, this timely new research underscore the need to devise strategies to keep correctional populations low, allowing us to resource prisons in a manner that positions correctional officers to effectively perform their critically important function.
