Increasing safety for people in correctional systems
Since the launch of Do I Have the Right to Feel Safe?, Our Vision for Holistic Safety in Corrections in 2022, Chicago Beyond has partnered with correctional institutions across the nation to bring the principles of Holistic Safety to life. Our work began with our Holistic Safety Action Alliance, a first-of-its-kind coalition between Chicago Beyond, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, to support the mental health of staff and people incarcerated and drive other initiatives to reduce physical and emotional isolation. Today, Chicago Beyond has a working model to support national, state, and local correctional leaders to increase physical and psychological safety for people in correctional systems.
Signals of Impact
Our correctional partners face multiple forces that make reform difficult, including increasing mental health challenges, correctional staff shortages, and more. Additionally, by their very nature, jails are isolating places, for both people incarcerated and frontline staff, including in-cell time for people incarcerated, interpersonal isolation, and emotional isolation for all. Through our work with correctional institutions and our national advisory council, we have seen significant shifts:
Join Us
If you are a leader in corrections seeking to make the communities that exist in carceral systems safer and healthier, please consider participating in Chicago Beyond's Holistic Safety Workshop Series. The Holistic Safety Workshop Series is a national program in which Chicago Beyond supports correctional systems in implementing Holistic Safety practices. Centered on Chicago Beyond’s Holistic Safety Framework, the workshops are solutions-focused and designed to improve the health and safety of staff and people incarcerated. When working with correctional institutions, Chicago Beyond provides:
Thought Leadership
Our team has unique expertise in correctional and mental health care, improving conditions of confinement, staff wellness, human resources, and project management.
Relationships and Accountability
Through monthly meetings and other touchpoints, we are able to focus on shifts to reduce physical and emotional isolation for staff and people incarcerated within the system and the us vs. them culture of corrections.
Change Management Support
Our process shifts the focus from “what” to “how” and creates sustainable progress.