If you are currently working in corrections and ready to take the next step in your career, you might be striving for a role in correctional management or leadership. With a better understanding of what corrections management entails and the emerging trends shaping the field, you can be better equipped for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. 

Evolving Trends in Correctional Management

The field of correctional management has shifted notably over the past several decades. However, recent emerging trends have consisted of a shift to more rehabilitative approaches as well as the use of data-driven practices. 

Shift From Punitive to Rehabilitative Approaches

The United States correctional system has long been criticized for being too punitive — focusing more on punishing offenders than giving them the tools needed to transform their lives. In recent years, however, the field has welcomed a shift toward rehabilitative approaches that instead strive to help offenders work through the root causes of their criminal behavior. 

Emphasis on Evidence-Based and Data-Driven Practices

With more tools and resources now available to process and interpret large volumes of correctional data, the field of corrections management has also seen an elevated use of evidence-based and data-driven processes. For instance, jails and prisons are using risk-need-responsivity (RNR) and criminogenic models to reduce recidivism and optimize interventions. 

Growing Need for Ethics, Transparency and Accountability 

More than ever, prisons and jails are also seeing a demand for greater accountability and transparency in regard to how inmates are treated. In an effort to build greater public trust, correctional managers are urged to ensure that staff are trained to act with integrity, professionalism and respect for all inmates. 

Core Challenges Facing Correctional Management

Despite positive trends and resources that make correctional management work easier in some ways, professionals in this field face some notable challenges. 

Policy and Systems-Level Issues

At the policy level, correctional managers may struggle with such issues as overcrowding, eroded public trust and ongoing security challenges within prisons and jails. 

Overcrowding and Resource Allocation 

The country’s prisons are notoriously overcrowded; between 2022 and 2023 alone, combined state and federal prison populations rose 2%. This can lead to not only safety and security challenges but also difficulties in allocating limited resources. 

Public Trust and Accountability 

Public trust (or lack thereof) is another ongoing issue in rehabilitation and corrections. When the general public does not have faith in the corrections system, this can lead to resistance, ineffective policy decisions and overall erosion of the legitimacy of person/jail rehabilitation programs. 

Balancing Security With Rehabilitation

Corrections staff often struggle with finding the right balance between programs that rehabilitate offenders and programs that keep prisons and jails safe. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to mimic real-world conditions with serious offenders — which can make acclimating to society an even greater challenge for some. 

Staffing Shortages and Workforce Pressures

Across the profession, staffing shortages continue to plague the efforts of correctional facilities, resulting in higher levels of burnout among current corrections officers and management staff. 

Recruitment and Retention Challenges

According to data from the Prison Policy Initiative, “The total correctional workforce has shrunk by 11% in state prisons and 7% in local jails since 2020.”  

Likewise, even when correctional officers are hired, retaining them can be a challenge due to the job’s high stress levels. 

Training Gaps and Burnout

Long shifts, dangerous work conditions, training gaps and a lack of work/life balance can lead to serious burnout among correctional facility staff. In fact, studies have found that around 37% of correctional officers present symptoms of burnout, including emotional exhaustion, cynicism and a depletion of physical/emotional energy. 

Need for Leadership Development at All Levels

Perhaps more than ever, there is a dire need for leadership training and development at all levels of corrections in order to address the challenges of today’s facilities, improve retention, increase accountability and prepare officers for the future of corrections and corresponding leadership roles. This kind of ongoing development could also close training gaps and better equip corrections staff to serve. 

Rehabilitation and Inmate Behavior

Corrections professionals frequently run into challenges as they relate to inmate healthcare and behavior, too, including the presence of mental health and substance abuse disorders.  

Addressing Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Substance abuse and mental health disorders are highly common among inmates, with an estimated 85% of inmates suffering from active substance use disorders. Correctional management professionals, then, are tasked with implementing comprehensive and evidence-based treatment interventions to better serve their populations and prepare them for reintegration. 

Educational and Vocational Training for Inmates

Today, many prisons have also implemented educational and vocational training programs as rehabilitation-focused solutions for inmates. These programs can prepare offenders for reintegration with society by helping them earn their GEDs, build job-ready skills and make informed career choices after their release.  

Reintegration and Reducing Recidivism

Additionally, corrections management must be up to speed on the latest methods and practices for reducing recidivism among offenders and preparing inmates to rejoin society as productive members. Aside from education/vocational training and substance abuse programs, this may include offering dedicated re-entry programs, community support and mentorship opportunities. 

Technology Integration

Even as more technologies become available, corrections management staff must grapple with the inherent challenges that accompany choosing, implementing and leveraging the right solutions. 

Use of Surveillance, AI and Predictive Analytics

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and surveillance now enable corrections staff to better monitor facilities for safety and security concerns while freeing up valuable time and resources. In some cases, predictive analytics technology may even be used to alert staff of potential threats before they emerge.  

Ethical Considerations in Tech Adoption 

As with adopting any new technology in a correctional facility, there are inherent concerns surrounding ethics and privacy. With unprecedented amounts of inmate data being collected, the need for robust privacy and security measures is readily apparent. 

Managing Cybersecurity and Digital Records

As data breaches become increasingly common, correctional management professionals should be prepared to develop and implement robust cybersecurity measures that keep digital inmate records and data safe. This may entail data encryption practices, access control and other proven strategies. 

How Advanced Degrees Equip Future Leaders

For corrections professionals who already hold undergraduate degrees, pursuing an advanced degree (such as a master’s or doctorate degree) could help establish the skills and competencies needed to fulfill leadership and management roles. 

Coursework on Law, Policy and Justice Reform

For example, in an advanced criminal justice degree program, corrections professionals can explore coursework in relevant areas such as: 

  • Policy analysis 
  • Research methods 
  • Conflict analysis and resolution 
  • Professionalism and ethics 
  • Theory in criminology and criminal justice 

Techniques for Adapting and Managing Teams Under Pressure

In addition to formal coursework, students in an advanced criminal justice degree program may expand upon foundational skills applicable to corrections leadership and management roles — like conflict resolution, communication, collaboration and leadership. 

Rehabilitation-Focused Program Design

The ideal advanced criminal justice degree program will be crafted with a curriculum centered on rehabilitation rather than a punitive approach. By choosing a program with this kind of focus, corrections professionals may be better prepared to implement rehabilitative community justice models aimed at reducing recidivism and helping offenders go on to serve as productive members of their respective communities. 

Training in Digital Tools and Justice System Technology

As jails and prisons continue to integrate new technologies (including AI and predictive analytics tools), leaders in the future of corrections will also need to know how to use these technologies effectively. In an advanced criminal justice degree program, students have the opportunity to master these tools in their own work. 

Why the Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) Is a Smart Choice

For those looking to advance their education without committing to the rigor of a doctorate degree program, a Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) from Keiser University could be an excellent path. 

Overview of Degree Outcomes

In an MCJ program, students strive toward such objectives as: 

  • Evaluating an agency’s ability to meet a community’s needs. 
  • Assessing contemporary criminal justice systems (including their policies and practices). 
  • Understanding the psychological basis, nature and causes of crime. 
  • Critically analyzing gaps in criminal justice services. 
  • Leading and managing criminal justice and community services in both the public and private sectors. 

Skills Unique to Graduate-Level Training in Corrections

In a graduate-level MCJ program, corrections professionals can build upon the unique skills needed to fulfill corrections management roles. Examples of these skills include: 

  • Conflict resolution and management 
  • Leadership and ethics 
  • Written and verbal communication 
  • Collaboration and a teamwork mentality 

Flexibility for Working Professionals (Online and Hybrid Programs)

Finally, with both online and hybrid degree options available, the MCJ from Keiser University can prove an optimal route for busy, working professionals who strive to advance their education without putting other aspects of their lives on hold. 

Explore an Advanced Criminal Justice Degree at Keiser University

An advanced degree in criminal justice could be the next step toward a fulfilling role in the realm of corrections management. Of course, it is important to explore your options and choose the program that best suits your needs and goals.  

At Keiser University, we offer several advanced degrees in criminal justice, including a: 

No matter where your specific interests or career aspirations may lie, enrolling in an advanced criminal justice degree from Keiser is backed by a student-first philosophy and plenty of ongoing support from our faculty and staff. Plus, with flexible online and hybrid options available, you can choose the format that suits your schedule. 

Drop us a line to request more information about any of our advanced criminal justice programs, or apply now to take the next step.