A rapid response Taskforce for supporting correctional agencies during the crisis
In response to the global pandemic, ICPA rapidly formed the C19 Prisons Taskforce to help our colleagues and members during this unprecedented crisis. With significant danger to both inmates and staff and facing major disruption within correctional services, the Taskforce set out to faciliate the sharing of information, to communicate openly and to work together in addressing the issues concerning the prevention and containment of Covid-19 in prisons.
The Taskforce comprised four groups:
Central Response Group – a team of senior practitioners and prison professionals each responsible for a particular world region. Their goal is to open dialogue with prison agencies within their respective regions, assess where assistance might be required, to support the exchange of information between agencies and to provide guidance on initiatives undertaken by the Association in response to the Covid-19 threat.
Regional Correspondents Group – forming a global network, our Regional Correspondents included volunteers from a number of public sector agencies and professional bodies who supported the Taskforce initiative. Their work was to establish points of contact with the various correctional agencies within their area and create a communication channel for the bi-directional exchange of information, data and assistance requests. Regional Correspondents also contributed to the initiative by providing links to relevant news and resources from their respective regions.
NGO and Partner Liaison Group – our NGO and Partner Liaison Group maintained communications with stakeholders and other interested groups to ensure a bi-directional sharing of information, to seek advice and to foster collaborative efforts where required.
Subject Matter Expert Group – this group welcomed all participants from across the global corrections community to join the efforts of the C19 Prisons Taskforce by registering their expertise with the aim of providing advice and support to others and contributing to content and resources where needed.