Technology That Works for Officers: Supporting Correctional Staff Through Tools That Improve Safety and Wellbeing
Caption: Secure tablets, such as the EVOTAB from Securus, are already used in many facilities to support incarcerated individuals with education, communication and digital literacy. Photo Credit: Securus Technologies
By Steve Casey
Correctional officers (COs) across the country face growing challenges on the job. These public safety professionals work in high-pressure environments shaped by demanding schedules, staffing shortages and complex responsibilities—and the strain adds up. Yet unlike police, fire or EMS professionals, COs are often overlooked in national policy conversations about first-responder wellness. With more than four decades in law enforcement leadership and policy advising, I believe it’s time we correct that.
Today, technology offers a path toward better support, smarter operations, and healthier outcomes for both officers and incarcerated individuals. Secure tablets—already used in many facilities to support incarcerated individuals with education, communication and digital literacy—also deliver clear workplace benefits for COs. These tools, like those deployed by Securus Technologies, modernize correctional environments by streamlining workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and centralizing communication and forms. In doing so, they reduce paperwork, save time, and allow officers to focus more on safety and less on administrative burden.
These aren’t abstract promises. A 2022 RAND Corporation study found that digital tools in correctional settings can cut paperwork by up to 30 percent and significantly improve staff time management. Better time use means less stress, improved focus, and more bandwidth to address de-escalation, conflict resolution and staff development.
Beyond efficiency, tablets also contribute to a safer workplace. Facilities that provide secure tablets to incarcerated individuals have reported fewer behavioral incidents—easing one of the biggest sources of stress for correctional staff. Fewer incidents mean a safer environment for everyone, from officers to those in custody. Improved morale is a real, measurable outcome from a relatively simple shift in infrastructure.
The value of this technology doesn’t end with safety and efficiency. Through platforms like Lexipol, tablets can offer COs on-demand access to wellbeing resources such as stress management tools, crisis response guidance and educational materials. In a profession defined by long shifts, limited relief and constant exposure to trauma, these in-the-moment supports can make a meaningful difference.
This emphasis on wellbeing also addresses broader issues: burnout, job dissatisfaction and early retirement. Roughly 34% of COs nationwide meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a rate more than double that of military veterans and nearly five times that of the general U.S. population. But beyond the statistics is the lived reality of sleep disruptions, constant hypervigilance and chronic stress—often managed quietly and alone. Many turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, and in some states the suicide rate for COs is up to seven times the national average.
With this knowledge, it’s no longer shocking that the average life expectancy of a correctional officer is just 59 years—more than 15 years shorter than the U.S. average. Yet COs are overlooked in wellness, policy and public safety planning. Change is needed to ensure these officers, the unsung heroes in public safety, can continue their commitment to helping communities nationwide remain secure. Investing in wellbeing—through training, time-saving tools and peer-support systems—can foster a more stable and professional workforce. It’s not just good for officers; it’s vital for the health of the corrections system.
Some states have taken the first step in prioritizing CO wellbeing. In 2022, Florida—where I served for many years as executive director of the Florida Sheriffs Association—became one of the first states to legally recognize PTSD as a compensable workplace injury for correctional officers. This was a landmark acknowledgment that COs face trauma on par with that of police officers and firefighters. But policy change alone isn’t enough. We must also make practical investments in the tools that improve officers’ daily lives.
If we are serious about public safety and officer retention, we must invest in technology that supports safer operations, streamlines workloads, improves institutional outcomes and protects the people doing the work. That includes tools like secure tablets that meet both officers and incarcerated individuals where they are.
Correctional officers are critical public safety professionals. We trust them to maintain order in complex, high-responsibility environments. They show up for difficult jobs, working long hours and undesirable days like holidays and weekends, often without the recognition or resources afforded to other public safety roles. If we want a corrections system that is stable, professional and effective, we must start by taking better care of the people who run it.
Steve Casey, CEO of White Hat Associates LLC, is a seasoned public safety leader with 45 years of experience dedicated to community protection. His 15-year leadership of the Florida Sheriffs Association, coupled with 30 years of service in city, county and state law enforcement, underscores his unwavering commitment. As a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Harvard Senior Executive Program, and recently elected honorary sheriff of Florida, Casey brings unparalleled expertise to his advisory role with national associations and Fortune 500 companies.