Jail Warden Speaks Out on COVID-19 Crisis

In times of crisis, the weaknesses in our institutions are more visible. Those of us working in corrections are faced with a reckoning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight out of ten of the worst virus hotspots in the US are in prisons and jails. For those of us living and working in jails and prisons, it’s no secret why. Many facilities are fraught with poor sanitation and dangerous overcrowding caused by senseless policies that detain people who pose little — if any threat — to our safety. Meanwhile, others are incarcerated for years, sometimes decades, longer than necessary.

There is hope. At LEAP, we believe in elevating the voices of law enforcement who get it. By sharing solutions with criminal justice colleagues, our spokespeople ensure real public safety solutions advance our profession — and our families and communities — into the 21st century.

Here’s a corrections administrator in New Hampshire who’s turning the pandemic into a teachable moment for criminal justice reform.

“Are we putting people in jail because it really matters for public safety, or are we putting people in jail because we’re simply mad at them?”

Our mission has not changed since the pandemic began; but our work has never been more urgent. We will not stop working to safely reduce incarceration, but we need your help. Please share this video with friends and family, especially those who work in corrections and the criminal justice system more widely.

The Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) is a nonprofit group of police, judges, prosecutors, and other justice system professionals who use their expertise to promote evidence-based solutions to public safety problems. To keep our speakers at the forefront of criminal justice reform, we need your help. Donate here.