PR Crisis Prevention for Corrections Facilities: Why Training Matters

Consider for a moment the idea of public relations and the positive impact it can have across the spectrum of agencies serving the public safety and criminal justice fields. A key point of focus in any private enterprise’s strategy and perennial billion-dollar expense for the federal government, the oft-misunderstood practice’s core goals of preserving reputation and controlling the message have become even more important in this era of instant communication and social media. A perceived misbehavior can unite and ignite large portions of the public without a single minute of traditional news coverage drawing attention. Were the same level of technology available during the Watergate crisis, one online marketing company muses, the discoveries of Robert Woodward and Carl Bernstein likely would have been lightning-fast community events instead.

A world in which information propagates at scales and speeds far greater than those of traditional media is one in which PR crises explode into the public consciousness at a rapid, often dizzying, pace. The changing social climate may make law enforcement agencies the first public service to come to mind when PR crises are mentioned. However, they are not the only ones. By virtue of their roles, their distance from standard street-level responder models, and numerous other factors, correctional facilities provide an interesting look at the intersection of public relations and government. They also provide a compelling argument in favor of protocol with revised focus on strategy, planning, and preemptive measures such as training.

A Unique Space in the Industry—and PR

One leading reason correctional facilities provide such useful perspective on government PR, particularly where responder services are involved, is that they do not operate on the same plane as other services with which they interact in the criminal justice field. Yet, they are deeply interconnected with the criminal justice system as a whole.

Because of this, facilities may serve as central figures in PR scandals or provide a backdrop for a media spotlight that shines on other branches of the system. The Orange County, CA jail snitch scandal, for instance, centered on officials outside the jail system and their “strategic” use of inmate informants, who were, by many insider accounts, wholly unreliable. The issue led to the “tainting” of some 146 cases and called the arrests of other individuals into question, with correctional facilities serving a central, if secondary role within the larger story.

Other events falling squarely on facilities follow a more predictable track. Small- and large-scale acts of violence, miniature drug epidemics, ongoing security failings, and correctional staff misconduct cases are all standard fare in the headlines. Severity and extenuating factors ultimately determine how long the event in question draws media inquiry and public outrage. At high level, this is how one prison riot may barely draw local media attention while another—such as an event that left seven inmates dead and over 20 injured inside a South Carolina prison—may stay under the spotlight for months.

These situations combine for a corrections industry wherein facilities can be directly linked to a large number of scandals and unfairly connected to an even larger collection thereof. From a PR perspective, this is hardly an enviable position. This, in turn, partially explains why the disaster response aspect of public relations—once a rather uncommon skill in private sector PR, and still fairly specialized—is closer to a primary function in corrections agencies large enough to warrant their own PR service and a leading purchase when organizations contract with outside help. With problems coming from so many directions, a high percentage of which are almost completely beyond the organization’s control, controlling the message may quite simply be beyond the individual entity’s grasp.

Public vs. Media Relations: Narrowing the Focus

While corrections agencies may differ from others in the types of crises they encounter, the process they must follow largely mirrors a scheme common to every successful rebound effort. The first step, ideally, is building a response plan, which occurs well before help is needed. At minimum, having a formalized procedure in place gives stakeholders, and especially those who might end up speaking to media figures, a set of high-level guideposts to grasp as they navigate an undeniably stressful situation.

Training Ties the Crisis Response Together

Training, another foundational aspect of smart PR crisis response, must also be implemented in advance of problems that draw serious media attention. Done right, it is one of the most valuable tools at the crisis-stricken organization’s disposal: a pre-response that marries the practical benefits of a better-trained workforce with strategic advantages of full, thorough documentation.

As noted, the face value this sort of training provides is obvious. Staff who know how to handle the media, navigate the complex unwritten rules of their facility, and verbally manage individuals under their supervision with professionalism and respect are less likely to contribute to incidents that escalate into crises. With the right systems in place—such as modern training and records management platforms—organizations can also ensure consistent documentation, accountability, and readiness.

Following this, organizations reliant on ineffective, outdated training and records management practices would be well advised to consider an upgrade. It is all but impossible to predict and preempt every possible action that draws undue attention from outside. Even the preventable mistakes that cause them can be invisible until they are viewed in hindsight; accordingly, putting a smart process in place capable of recording the minor details that prove an acceptable level of oversight is one of the most impactful changes facilities can make. In an industry where secondary damages from external scrutiny can be almost as impactful as the event that spurred the crisis, that is not a claim to take lightly.