An armed California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officer stands guard at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, formerly San Quentin State Prison. California is among the states with an independent oversight office that monitors state correctional facilities. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Rampant sexual abuse by guards at women’s prisons in California. An inmate suicide that went unnoticed for 18 hours in Washington state. Multiple jail breaks in Pennsylvania.
Prisons and jails across the United States are overcrowded and understaffed, jeopardizing the safety of incarcerated people, correctional officers and surrounding communities. As state legislatures convene in the coming weeks, many lawmakers are focusing on a key criminal justice issue for prisons and jails: more oversight…