When Benchmark Analytics surveyed officers and leaders in corrections in 2022, they identified recruitment, retention, and burnout and officer wellness as the top issues they were facing in their organizations. As I’ve listened to individuals throughout the world who are working in corrections, behavioral health and rehabilitation, education, and public safety overall, these same issues continue to come up. Many organizations are introducing innovative methods to address these issues; however, most solutions focus on the individual correctional officer. This article focuses on a more comprehensive approach—organizational wellbeing.
In January 2024, the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA) adopted a position paper titled “The Importance of Creating and Sustaining Organizational Wellbeing” (available at this link) that begins with the following position statement:
"Wellbeing is a universal imperative for all human beings. Focusing on the wellbeing of all in the Juvenile Justice system improves organizational culture, improves leadership effectiveness, staff engagement, wellness, and positive outcomes for youth and families. CJJA takes the position that organizational wellbeing is not an optional consideration but a necessity for a well-functioning juvenile justice system that supports the wellbeing of all."
While this position statement is directed at juvenile justice systems, it is applicable to all organizations working with juvenile and adult justice-involved individuals in secure and community-based settings. Wellbeing is not only a universal imperative, but also directly related to the recruitment and retention of staff in all these systems. The position paper further states:
“An organizational wellbeing framework aligns values, structures, policies, and practices to support a healthy culture. At the staff level, a Gallup study states, Individual wellbeing, employee engagement, and a culture of wellbeing link to important organizational outcomes, such as productivity, health, and employee retention. These factors complement and affect one another in ways that leaders, managers, and organizations can influence. Robinson, J. (2013) “How to Create a Culture of Organizational Wellbeing,” Gallup.
Leaders of corrections agencies with strong organizational cultures were not only able to survive but also to thrive while facing the challenges of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Today, they are attempting to do the same as they face overwhelming challenges in recruitment and retention of staff in all positions, particularly among correctional officers and supervision staff. These leaders are recognizing that while there are many factors that contribute to retention of staff and recruitment of individuals who will be prepared to succeed them, a critical one is organizational wellbeing. By investing in organizational wellbeing, they can also address the individual wellness of staff, justice-involved individuals, and families.
The CJJA’s position paper is based on a common-sense framework, and integrates what we know and what we are learning about wellbeing. It provides perspectives that summarize the impact of conditions of the workplace and conditions of care; roadblocks to wellbeing; equity and wellbeing; and wellbeing and crisis. The examples provided include how a diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative within one organization helped them to improve organizational culture and better outcomes for youth; while another example highlighted the negative tradeoffs an organization might make in a crisis that could then escalate to negatively impacting wellbeing.
Another excerpt from the CJJA document highlights how their position has universal application for correctional organizations as they consider organizational wellbeing:
“By focusing on the entire system, leaders can address underlying issues and needs, providing optimal opportunities to improve and sustain organizational culture versus short-term strategies focusing on symptoms. Examples of strategies that support wellbeing include:
- Review and align the values, practices, policies, and structures to support a healthy culture and increase wellbeing.
- Create strong mission, vision, and values statements that center on wellbeing and are integrated into all aspects of operations (policy, practices, and culture).
- Invest in and build staff facilitation skills to increase staff mastery on how to provide services from a wellbeing perspective.
- Utilize staff's unique talents and attributes to enhance programming and increase staff involvement, sense of mastery.
- Develop safety plans that outline for staff and youth what to do in crises.
- Recognize and provide programming that supports and celebrates youth and staff culture and identities.
- Examine and change policies and structures that create disproportionality and inequities in practice.”
This position paper also included suggested strategies to support staff wellness, including the wellness of leaders. This was reinforced at a recent CJJC meeting through a presentation by Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli, one of the foremost researchers in individual and organizational wellbeing. Dr. Ricciardelli shared practical strategies for leaders to focus on meaning, accomplishment, positive emotions, engagement, and relationships. Dr. Ricciardelli is also one of the editors of Prison Officers: International Perspectives on Prison Work (2024) that is highlighted in the “International News” section of this issue of the IACFP Bulletin.
We want to hear what your organization is doing to create and sustain organizational wellbeing. We can learn from one another, and in future issues we would like to spotlight innovative policies, practices, and lessons learned.
