PRINTER'S NO. 3208
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 456
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY SCOTT, HILL-EVANS, GIRAL, SCHMITT, PIELLI, VENKAT,
MARCELL, KINSEY, PROBST, McNEILL, MADDEN, SANCHEZ, NEILSON,
SCHLOSSBERG, HADDOCK, MERSKI, JOZWIAK, BURGOS, DELLOSO,
CURRY, CIRESI AND ZIMMERMAN, JUNE 3, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JUNE 3, 2024
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of May 5 through 11, 2024, as "Correctional
2 Officers Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Correctional officers play a vital role in the
4 criminal justice system as they maintain the security and
5 operation of correctional facilities; and
6 WHEREAS, Correctional officers are essential in ensuring the
7 safety of incarcerated individuals and staff in correctional
8 facilities; and
9 WHEREAS, Correctional officers are responsible for regular
10 searches and inspections in order to mitigate the issue of
11 contraband; and
12 WHEREAS, With training in crisis intervention and conflict
13 resolution, correctional officers are tasked with de-escalating
14 potentially dangerous situations and preventing violence; and
15 WHEREAS, As efforts to reform the criminal justice system
16 have increased, the role of correctional officers has evolved to
17 include the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals; and
 1 WHEREAS, Correctional officers are crucial in implementing
2 programs intended to reduce recidivism and encouraging positive
3 outcomes for incarcerated individuals; and
4 WHEREAS, Correctional officers may assume a support role as
5 they engage with incarcerated individuals who are navigating
6 mental health challenges, substance use disorders and additional
7 rehabilitative concerns; and
8 WHEREAS, The interpersonal and communication skills of
9 correctional officers are paramount in fostering positive
10 interactions with incarcerated individuals and staff; and
11 WHEREAS, While correctional officers are important in the
12 successful operation of correctional facilities, they face
13 various challenges in their line of work; and
14 WHEREAS, As correctional officers work in high-stress
15 environments, they are regularly exposed to violence, increasing
16 their risk of harm; and
17 WHEREAS, These stressors often adversely affect correctional
18 officers' mental health, consequently leading to post-traumatic
19 stress disorder and burnout; and
20 WHEREAS, Institutional challenges, such as overcrowding,
21 further complicate the strain placed on correctional officers;
22 and
23 WHEREAS, Furthermore, insufficient resources such as
24 inadequate staffing and training programs cause difficulties in
25 effectively navigating institutional challenges; and
26 WHEREAS, Correctional officers deserve to be recognized for
27 their indispensable contributions to the criminal justice
28 system; and
29 WHEREAS, "National Correctional Officers Week" has been
30 observed since 1984 to thank correctional officers for their
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1 service; therefore be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
3 week of May 5 through 11, 2024, as "Correctional Officers Week"
4 in Pennsylvania.
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