MCP in the News: The Future of Correctional Officer Communications

Bringing the "connected officer" concept to life requires strategic thinking and thoughtful planning 

This article originally appeared in Corrections1 and can be read in its entirety here.

Jails and prisons are inherently dangerous places to work. Correctional officers and other personnel work in close proximity to inmates, many of whom can be extremely violent, manipulative and resourceful.

A 2015 study by the International Corrections and Prisons Association of the correctional environment in the United States revealed 256 workplace assaults for every 10,000 correctional officers in 2011, a rate that was 36 times the rate for all American workers. A year later, London’s Daily Mirror newspaper reported the assault of more than 1,000 correctional officers in the United Kingdom – over a two-month period. Of these assaults, 95 were considered serious, with many involving slashings by prisoners using homemade weapons. In addition, 905 correctional officers were victims of less serious assaults, representing about 15% of the workforce.