Category: The Comms Post

Part II: What Tennessee’s Failed Execution Can Teach Us About Leadership, Trust and the Information Vacuum Author’s Note: I’ve continued thinking about what happened in Tennessee, particularly the people who found themselves in the middle of it. I know several members of the Tennessee Department of Correction’s communications team through National Information Officers Association conferences.… Read more

Part I: What Tennessee’s Failed Execution Can Teach Us About Communicating Through the Unexpected Author’s Note: I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what happened in Tennessee. More than I expected to, actually. It’s weighed heavily on my mind. I think anyone who has worked in corrections understands, at least to some degree, the… Read more

For generations, corrections has been defined by three core responsibilities: care, custody, and control. They are foundational. They are necessary. And they are not going away. But they are no longer sufficient on their own. In today’s corrections environment, there is a fourth responsibility that underpins all three, whether we acknowledge it or not: Communication.… Read more

In the high-stakes world of corrections, communication is not a support function. It is a mission-critical discipline that can build trust, calm tension, shape public understanding, and at times save lives. Yet in the rush to respond to the latest incident, manage the news cycle, and put out fires, both figuratively and literally, it is… Read more

Corrections is not a profession that begins and ends at the facility gate. Long shifts, mandatory overtime, missed holidays, late-night phone calls, and emotional strain follow staff home. The work does not stay neatly contained inside the walls. It becomes part of family life, routines, and relationships. That reality makes National Spouses Day more than… Read more

Every January, the internet fills up with ambitious resolutions: inbox zero, flawless work-life balance, daily yoga, no carbs. Corrections communicators know better. The new year doesn’t bring fewer incidents, slower news cycles, or magically aligned leadership calendars. It does, however, offer a chance to reset habits, sharpen systems, and recommit to the fundamentals that keep… Read more

There are moments in this profession that test the limits of even the most seasoned communicator. In recent weeks, the corrections community has experienced two devastating losses. In New York, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision mourned the death of a chaplain who reportedly entered an administrative building with a firearm and took his… Read more

In corrections, strength is often defined by control, security, and command presence. Those are essential. But there is another form of strength that deserves equal attention—especially in communication. Kindness. Not performative. Not soft. But intentional, strategic, and grounded in respect. As World Kindness Day approaches, it is worth remembering that kindness in corrections is not… Read more

In corrections, we communicate with many audiences—elected officials, journalists, community partners, and our own staff.But two of the most overlooked are also the most personally invested: the families of our employees and the families of those incarcerated. For many agencies, contact with these groups happens only when something goes wrong—a staff injury, an escape, a… Read more