Many individuals working within carceral systems express a desire to help; to enhance safety and security while offering pro-social experiences that improve lives and can lead to desistance. Yet, too often, the carceral system creates seemingly insurmountable hurdles and obstacles so that achieving rehabilitative and pro-social goals feels impossible. Reforms are needed, but budgets are tight, staffing is critically low, and resources are scarce. Perhaps some good news is how some of what carceral institutions need to do, to create innovation to improve wellness, is already in place both within correctional facilities and the broader community.

In this panel, four carceral scholars from the U.S. and Canada examine and explore existing resources that are often overlooked and underutilized…resources, that when used to capacity, could show dramatic wellness improvements for prison/jail staff and residents. The four presentations will highlight: 1) faith-based and peer navigation programs; 2) strengthening relational connections with community; 3) the importance of enhancing the capacities of medical and healthcare systems, and 4) the moral and perceptual importance of carceral work. Blending empirical data and theoretical frameworks, these scholars present several hopeful alternatives to the often bleak carceral landscape and suggest a future where both carceral staff and residents learn, grow, and flourish in ways that improve wellness outcomes for themselves, their families, and the communities they call home.