Correctional staffing is a long-standing issue, one that has been severely exacerbated by the pandemic, employee burnout, and early retirement. Managing and monitoring the population of offenders is dependent upon facilities being able to attract, train, and retain sufficient qualified people. However, many facilities routinely have a significant percentage of unfilled positions in both security and support staff.

To reduce the prison population that requires active management, correctional systems need different ways to address personnel shortages:

1. Develop training systems that more accurately reflect on-the-job conditions to quickly on-board and prepare new employees.
2. Introduce evidence-based practices that are shown to improve employee satisfaction and retention.
3. Automate routine processes, such as on-foot patrols, guard tower stations, and vehicle inspections with site-installed perimeter monitoring and electronic surveillance.
4. Use offender wristbands, in-facility sensors and cameras, and yard drones to reduce workforce needs.

The availability of contraband in correctional facilities is on the rise with an increase in smuggled items such as SIM cards, drugs, escape paraphernalia, and weapons. A significant source of contraband issues comes from drones as they can be used to distract guards, conduct external reconnaissance of facility patterns and weaknesses, and drop packages. The lack of adequate staff means that contraband deliveries can go unnoticed.

The key to preventing contraband drone drops is to undertake a number of technology-based initiatives:

1. Increase overall perimeter security measures and even physical barriers such as netting.
2. Add drone visual, acoustic, and/or radar monitoring technology.
3. Add systems that interfere or prohibit cellphone use.
4. Employ signal jamming on drone frequencies in jurisdictions that allow it.

The growing reliance on technology makes correctional facilities increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. The threat of these attacks can be to disable security cameras, door lock mechanisms, or internet services, scramble facility databases, or release private inmate information. Often, ransomware attacks are conducted to extort money but a cyberattack can also be used to cause chaos or prevent a facility from fulfilling legal obligations such as inmate care. Thwarting these attacks and maintaining the safety of offenders, staff, and community is an issue of extremely high priority.

Correctional facilities looking to adopt some best practices to better manage ransomware issues could consider the following:

1. Consistently use IT cybersecurity best practices such as reducing attack vectors, deploying antivirus software, maintaining up-to-date security patches, and blocking known ransomware sites.
2. Develop and implement an incident recovery plan with a list of critical contacts.
3. Do not allow personal applications and websites on work computers, and prohibit personal devices on work networks.
4. Carefully plan, implement, and test data backup and restoration strategies.