Join the Urban Institute for a conversation about prison living and working conditions—according to incarcerated people and corrections staff—in five state prisons in Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, and Vermont. The data were collected by local researchers, in partnership with their respective state departments of corrections, conducted three rounds of surveys, including a series of uniform questions across sites to allow for cross-site analysis. These efforts were part of the Prison Research and Innovation Initiative, an initiative to leverage research and evidence to shine a much-needed light on prison conditions and pilot strategies to promote the well-being of people who are confined and work behind bars.

This discussion will explore findings from three rounds of surveys of incarcerated people and corrections staff to understand their perceptions and attitudes on the purpose of prison, prison conditions and environment, safety, correctional policies and practices, COVID-19 responses, job satisfaction, and workplace culture. This discussion will bring together three speakers from the Missouri, Delaware, and Vermont teams to share their reflections on the survey findings.