Grief‑Responsive Corrections: Embedding Trauma‑Informed Grief Care for Safer, Healthier Prisons and Communities

ICPA 2025 Presentation by Rolando Nooks (PID124)

Author

Rolando Nooks

Founder and CEO, Compassionate Reprieve, United States

Rolando Nooks is the founder of Compassionate Reprieve, the first nonprofit dedicated to bringing humane, technology‑enabled grief care into correctional settings. A seasoned solution architect and grief‑in‑custody advocate, he pioneered a secure funeral‑streaming platform that reconnects incarcerated people with their families while meeting the highest security and privacy standards. Rolando blends hands‑on experience and trauma‑informed practice with deep expertise in cloud architecture and ethical AI, turning complex technical challenges into simple, compassionate solutions for departments of corrections.

His field research across North American and Caribbean facilities informed the Grief‑Responsive Corrections (GRC) Model—a framework that embeds grief literacy, staff moral‑injury mitigation, and culturally responsive peer support into everyday operations, aligning with the Mandela Rules, Bangkok Rules, and UN SDG 3. Rolando serves on advisory panels for justice technology, trains correctional staff in grief‑literacy, and consults with policymakers on humane digital services. His work has been featured in international media and criminal‑justice forums, inspiring a global conversation about dignity, healing, and family connection behind bars.

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