The backbone of corrections is its workforce. The corrections sector relies on qualified, trained, and dedicated staff for effective, professional operations. But today, correctional administrators, particularly those running prisons and jails, are grappling with severe workforce challenges that directly impact mission performance. Those challenges include staff recruitment, selection and retention, training, and agency succession planning.

The long and short of the SHU is that it is one of the most miserable and mentally damaging experiences that the Federal Bureau of Prisons offers. While some prisoners lose touch with reality, others are less harmed, but do tend to become angry, aggressive, and/or severely depressed. There are more than 80,000 men, women, and children in solitary confinement in prisons across the United States, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Note that figure is a decade old and doesn't include people in jails, juvenile facilities, and immigrant detention centers. Nearly every state uses some form of solitary confinement, but there's no federal reporting system that tracks how many people are isolated at any given time. Prisoners are often confined for months or even years, with some spending more than 25 years in segregated prison settings.

Choose 1: Poor Leadership in Corrections or Special Housing Unit

• One of the leading stressors in correctional jobs is poor leadership. How can the management culture be changed to address the division between correctional officers and correctional administrators?
• Research and discuss a famous prison riot. What were some of the precipitating factors? What happened to those persons in the SHU during that time? What was the outcome of the riot? Did things change to prevent future riots?

Include the following aspects in the discussion:

• What leadership skills are needed to hold supervisory positions in the corrections field?
• If you were in a leadership role, what things would you implement?
• Prison riots can be both deadly for the staff and inmates. Why are they taking place more frequently than before?