All correctional facilities eventually find themselves facing complicated and time-consuming problems they may not feel equipped to handle alone.
Lawsuits alleging staff misconduct or a lack of safe practice; a perplexing local operational issue that seems impossible to solve; or a news story about staff injuries, inmate safety or a serious event can bring concerns that the agency needs outside help to sort through the issue and improve internal practices.
Correctional consultants can be helpful in many instances, but may not be the right answer every time.
I previously wrote about when it makes sense to hire outside consultants. Now let’s discuss why you may not need to hire an outside correctional consulting firm or use them only on a limited basis.
1. When the correctional facility has internal capacity that is untapped and can repurpose staff to fill needs and resolve a problem area.
Look around. Do you have staff that not only could help but also want to? Often, specialized folks are there, but no one knows one is certified in this or has a master’s degree in that. Maybe one is a policy wiz who loves researching other jurisdictions’ policies. Maybe a group of trainers has put together a class for something related to your problem and just needs someone to mention the topic to it.
Some agency staff can be repurposed, and are often thrilled with the opportunity to contribute something new. Reach out and see what talent you already have.
2. When the correctional facility has a very small (or no) budget and no method to apply for grants or get funding from the legislature.
Let’s face it, with zero funds or little money, hiring quality correctional consultants will be impossible. Hiring less qualified “help” may send you down the wrong road and waste what little resources you have. My firm always recommends finding someone who is skilled at writing grants to take advantage of the funds that are out there, but require quality submissions to win.
3. When your correctional facility is willing and able to hire employees who can fill roles and bring external knowledge and ability.
Often hiring full-time and part-time employees is a good option. Staff can bring with them the expertise you need and are solely dedicated to the mission of the correctional facility at all times. An employee who previously worked in a large prison that was prone to riots and helped them solve that problem can bring that same experience and knowledge to work for you.
4. When the correctional facility has a large budget appropriation and hires a big-name firm, but that firm has little if any actual correctional experience.
Just because your agency was fortunate and received a large budget appropriation to hire help does not mean you should do so, especially without some research.
Often, firms with a great deal of name recognition as “consultants” do not specialize in corrections. They may bring analysts and ideas, but have little practical background to understand how the solutions they offer will work in a prison or jail.
Before you spend, be sure what you will be getting will work for your facility and your staff. Any correctional consultant should customize its services to meet the agency’s needs. If it won’t, it may not be worth the cost.
If you are unsure about hiring consultants, see if your correctional facility already has the staff you need or if you can hire those you need to make improvements and solve problems. You may find that you do, or that a consultant can be used in a more limited way, paving the way for the facility’s own staff to improve safety and operations. Either way, know you have options, and a correctional consultant is just one of them.
