U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Correctional officers

California Successes

Date Published
2001
Publication Type
Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
Agencies
NIJ-Sponsored

Redesigning Life in U.S. Prisons

July 2024

The prison system in the U.S. typically places a heavy emphasis on security, control, and punishment, and this foundation can create an adversarial culture within correctional facilities — incarcerated individuals versus correctional staff. But what if that culture could change? What would it look like? How would it impact not only incarcerated individuals but also correctional officers and other staff?