Strengthening the Women’s Prison Workforce: Recruitment and Training
This report is the third in a three-part series by Amend aimed at identifying strategies to support and empower people incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)’s women’s prisons to improve their health and wellness. It includes recommendations around 1) recruiting staff with the right mindset, background, and skills, and 2) providing training that equips staff to support incarcerated women in transforming their lives. These recommendations focus on the development of a professionalized and mission-driven workforce, and operate alongside those in the first two reports from this series, to present a vision for health-focused prison system that is gender-responsive and trauma-informed.
From Strict CO to Passionate Advocate for Humane Treatment
The prison environment can be dehumanizing, traumatic, and overwhelming both for prison staff and for people who are incarcerated. But a different way is possible, as evidenced by the personal and professional transformation of Corrections Sergeant Kabrina Riley, who co-developed a new program at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in partnership with Amend.
From Skeptic to Changemaker: A Story of Leadership and Transformation
Meet Jorrell Hicks, who discovered the power of human connection and his own potential to inspire lasting change through Cell2Cell, a program developed by Amend in partnership with the Washington DOC.
Building Trust and Breaking Isolation
Meet Mr. Bango, a peer mentor working to help other people who are incarcerated build trust and engage with the Resource Team.
Restoring Human Connection After Years of Isolation
Mr. Gomez lived idly in a solitary confinement prison cell, isolated from the prison’s general population, for most of his 14-year sentence. In his final year of incarceration, his experience changed dramatically after engagement with the Resource Team.