Content provided by Heroes Intervene
The arrival of new incarcerated individuals can be difficult. It is not uncommon for individuals to become combative with staff in jails and prisons. This exact scenario happened recently, and as told by the sergeant, they noticed that as staff members attempted to overcome the individual’s resistance, one officer’s hands were getting dangerously close to the inmate’s neck. The sergeant immediately intervened, moving the officer’s hands and preventing any misconduct.
Repeated challenges like these are often a contributing factor to the deterioration of an officer’s mental health. Sadly, it’s not uncommon for those working in corrections to develop addictions as a way to cope. One officer struggled with his alcohol use and, at one point, reached out to a colleague, saying he was “in a bad place.” This colleague contacted a peer support leader, facilitated admission into a rehab program, and even drove the officer there himself, as he had no means of transportation. “When I reached out, all I could think about was needing someone to intervene in my life,” the officer later said.
These anecdotes could’ve had wildly different – and detrimental – outcomes if it wasn’t for the training program implemented at both the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and California Correctional Health Care Services (CDCR/CCHCS) and Anne Arundel County of Maryland detention facilities. Aptly named, Heroes Active Bystandership has given these employees in these facilities the tools needed to appropriately intervene in a range of situations, thus lowering the risk of mistakes and misconduct while positively impacting employee health and wellness.
“The Department of Justice is clear that all agencies, including corrections, must not only have a policy for duty to intervene but also to train,” explained Heroes Active Bystandership cofounder Abigail Tucker, Psy.D., ABPP. “We know policy affirmation training is ineffective for something that requires skill, buy-in and practice. Heroes provides training, pre-implementation, support and sustainability for true adoption of active bystandership culture.” Tucker and Heroes national instructors have visited several Heroes agency sites, and they are passionate about sharing these stories that are not making the news because harm never occurred – it was prevented.
HOW HEROES CAME TO BE
The concept of active bystandership, also termed peer intervention, isn’t new. In 2014, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) partnered with Dr. Ervin Staub, professor of psychology, emeritus, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and founder of the Psychology of Peace and Violence Program.
Together with Dr. Joel Dvoskin, ABFP, and Jonathan Aronie, the federal monitor assigned to NOPD, they developed the Ethical Policing Is Courageous program or EPIC. Designed to promote active bystandership within NOPD during a time when misconduct was rampant, the foundational principles of EPIC were adopted into a national initiative in 2021, with many citing the death of George Floyd as a catalyst for this new program. The new program, called the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) project, was created by Georgetown University Law Center and Sheppard Mullin Law Firm, along with researchers, psychologists and advocates. ABLE’s goal is to provide police agencies with the tools and training needed to shift agency culture toward one of peer intervention. However, while ABLE can be used by police departments nationwide, it is not designed nor authorized for use in corrections. Heroes Active Bystandership fills that void.
“You have to do more than just say, ‘Don’t do this bad thing,’” said Tucker, who is a board-certified police and public safety psychologist. “You actually have to train people about what they need to do. It works best when you have a culture that adopts active bystandership and the training and the policy.”
FROM PROOF OF CONCEPT TO IMPLEMENTATION
Heroes knew from ABLE and other industries that active bystandership works to prevent harm. In 2023, they moved to implementation, securing contracts with both a state prison system and a county jail. With more than 65,000 employees dispersed across 30-plus facilities, CDCR/CCHCS is the largest state department in California. Like many others in public safety, the interest of those in leadership positions there was piqued when ABLE started to become a law enforcement industry best practice. In 2022, after being told ABLE is not provided to jails and prisons, CDCR published a solicitation for a bid to add active bystandership to its workforce. By May of the following year, the bid was awarded to Heroes Active Bystandership.
Heroes sees the value of cultural shifts in corrections in all detention facilities, including jails. Reciprocally, the Anne Arundel County of Maryland sees the value in active bystandership training for their detention facility employees. In 2023, Anne Arundel County of Maryland detention facilities selected Heroes Active Bystandership to provide active bystander training. Tucker observed, “It has been fulfilling to see the implementation in a large state facility and a county detention facility in the same year. We know that active bystandership is for all humans, but our heart is in corrections, and we could not be more thrilled to see the positive impact occurring coast to coast.”
HEROES ACTIVE BYSTANDERSHIP IN ACTION
During the development of the Heroes Active Bystandership program, cofounders Karen Collins Rice, Joel Dvoskin, Ph.D., ABFP, and Abigail Tucker immediately understood the need for the training to be dynamic instead of a “10-minute check it off the list” type of program. “This isn’t a police training program that we just slapped ‘prison’ on and said, ‘Here you go,’” Tucker explained.
The methodology behind Heroes uses a “train the trainer” teaching system and recognizes that active bystandership is a perishable skill that needs to be learned and regularly practiced. CDCR/CCHCS not only teaches its seasoned staff members but has also woven the curriculum into its academy so that new hires understand the concepts right off the bat.
“One of our key tenets is that Heroes Active Bystandership helps support both the rights and the needs of incarcerated persons and the staff, and that’s a real mindset shift for folks,” Tucker said. “I would say that once they ‘get’ that mindset/heartset shift, we never have to help them get it again.”
CDCR/CCHCS has certified roughly 600 members of their staff and Anne Arundel County detention facilities have certified approximately 12 Heroes agency instructors. Those instructors are now embarking on the larger task of providing eight hours of instruction to each employee in their facilities. The curriculum is centered around three concepts – reducing mistakes, preventing misconduct and promoting health and wellness. In 2025 and 2026, all staff members will be required to complete refresher modules.
While the adoption of the program has been smooth, Tucker acknowledges there is some natural hesitancy about the idea of peer intervention. “I often hear on day one of the training that this is the ‘snitch program,’” she said.
“By lunchtime, folks are coming up and sharing stories of how peer intervention could have saved careers and lives,” Tucker continued. “I have met wardens, sheriffs and executive leaders who support cultural change in corrections that brings integrity to the profession. But the magic of Heroes happens with staff. Their stories, their voices and their power to help each other go home safely at night and keep their paycheck – that keeps me motivated to bring active bystandership to all working in corrections.”
‘IF ONLY WE HAD THIS WHEN I WAS A ROOKIE’
So far, feedback from Heroes agencies has been overwhelmingly positive, with many noting that the Heroes Active Bystandership program makes them feel valued and is a great investment in their professional development. As the training continues, surveys will be conducted to provide qualitative data to measure the program’s efficacy. It’s firsthand stories, though, that give credence to how well the curriculum works.
“We’ve had people cry in our trainings and say, ‘If I had had this x number of years ago, people might still be alive who aren’t with us today anymore,’” said Tucker. “The untapped potential of active bystandership goes beyond a duty to intervene in the face of misconduct. We believe strongly that healthy employees make fewer mistakes and are less likely to be at risk of misconduct. By leveraging the power of peer intervention to promote the health and wellness of correctional employees, Heroes elevates the culture.”
Heroes Active Bystandership has a trickle-down effect on inmates, too. Dvoskin, Heroes cofounder, explains that inmates and staff are symbiotic. If officers aren’t well, the incarcerated population won’t be well because they aren’t getting proper interactions and the services they need. Dvoskin continues, “Right now, there are two horrible options if you see a co-worker making a mistake or engaging in misconduct. You can ignore it. Or you can report it which comes with stigma and risk of isolation from our peers. There is a better way – create a culture of active bystandership that expects and demands peer intervention to promote employee health, reduce mistakes and prevent misconduct. Heroes is the third option.”
Visit Heroes Intervene for more information.