Register to attend this webinar on Thursday, May 15, at 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT / 10 a.m. PT by completing the “Register for this Corrections1 Webinar” box on this page!
Can’t make the date? Register anyway and we’ll send you a recording after the event.
You may not have heard the term “active bystandership” before, but you already understand its importance in corrections. Think about a time when you witnessed a mistake or policy infraction at work – when you or others recognized the need to intervene but didn’t.
The ability to bridge the gap between intention and action is a skill that can be learned. The pitfall many correctional leaders fall into is the assumption that your workforce will say something if they see something. The reality is far from it, and if you haven’t personally encountered these scenarios, a quick look at recent headlines will show just how widespread these issues are:
■ “Indicted for Failure to Intervene”
■ “Correctional Officer Misconduct“
■ “Jail Commander Resigns Amid Toxic Culture Allegations”
These cases aren’t isolated incidents; they’re symptoms of a larger systemic challenge. Passive reliance on policy mandates has proven insufficient. To protect your workforce, incarcerated persons and our communities at large, we need proactive, evidence-informed solutions.
Active bystandership shifts the focus away from judgment and toward action. Social science research shows that simply seeing harm – or even being motivated to act – isn’t enough to consistently prevent it. Inaction in the face of misconduct, mistakes or failing health in our workforce has led to devastating consequences, from multimillion-dollar lawsuits to tragic loss of life.
By attending this webinar, you will:
- Understand the concept and importance of active bystandership to prevent misconduct, policy violations and health-related concerns in correctional environments.
- Recognize barriers to intervention and develop skills to overcome them, including common psychological, social and organizational barriers that prevent intervention.
- Learn how to implement proactive strategies to foster a culture of accountability and support by integrating active bystandership principles to promote team cohesion, improve staff well-being and reduce incidents of misconduct or harm.
MEET THE SPEAKERS:
Warden Cathy Fontenot has worked in prisons or jails her entire adult life. Armed with a mini 14 rifle, she began her career as a correctional officer assigned to a perimeter tower of a state of Louisiana medium security adult male prison. Realizing she had a Criminal Justice degree; she was chosen to work in the accreditation office at Dixon Correctional Institute. Due her contagious enthusiasm for this project, she was selected by the Secretary of Corrections to assist other prisons across the state in achieving their accreditation with the American Correctional Association. In 1995 she was named the Executive Staff Officer for the Louisiana State Penitentiary, the state’s maximum-security prison and the oldest and largest ACA accredited prison in the country at that time. Ms. Fontenot gained national attention during her time at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, appearing in documentaries and the reality show, “Louisiana Lockdown.” She has taught criminal justice and corrections at the university level as a way of recruiting those who want to serve, has been a warden of two local jails, worked as a director of a reception and diagnostic unit in the state of Mississippi and serves as an expert witness as a corrections process expert. She received the state of Louisiana’s top civil service award for career service in 2014. She is past president of the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents, past president of the Louisiana Correctional Association, first vice-president of the Louisiana Prison Museum and Cultural Center and is a fellow in the British American Project. On February 1, 2024, she became Lt. Colonel, Chief of Corrections, for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.
Christopher Klein is an established corrections professional with 28 years of experience in administration, planning and operations of both correctional systems and safety and homeland security agencies. He is an advocate for accountability at all levels of government and has many years of experience in policy and procedure development, and achieving accreditation at both state and national levels. Mr. Klein started his career with the Delaware Department of Correction in April 1997 and worked his way up through the ranks during his tenure. In 2011 Mr. Klein was promoted to Deputy Bureau Chief for the Bureau of Prisons with responsibility in assisting the chief of prisons in oversight of the state’s Level 5 secure prison facilities, special operations, correctional industries, food service, maintenance and prison education. In 2017, Mr. Klein Joined the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security as a deputy principal assistant to the cabinet secretary where he assisted in promoting the mission and objectives of the agency by providing oversight and supervision of operations within the department. In 2021 Mr. Klein was appointed as the superintendent of the Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities.