One Voice United Appoints Ken Dalley to Serve as Commissioner Focusing on Correctional Staff Wellness

First-ever Blue Ribbon Commission focusing on the deadly wellness crisis sweeping through the U.S. correctional system will convene May 13 in Washington D.C.

MAPLE GROVE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GUARDIAN RFID, a global leader in inmate tracking and officer experience platforms (OXPs), has announced that Ken Dalley, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Warrior of GUARDIAN RFID, has been appointed as commissioner on the first-ever Blue Ribbon Commission on the mental health crisis sweeping through the United States correctional system to be hosted on Friday, May 13 in Washington D.C. The testimonies and responses from commissioners will be used for a national report with recommendations to address the correctional wellness crisis to be presented to lawmakers and regulators.

Corrections practitioners will be testifying on the deadly wellness crisis sweeping through the U.S. correctional system. Correctional officers have a significantly higher post traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) rate as compared to the general public. According to a survey conducted by One Voice United, staffing levels and job dangers are amongst the highest rated concerns by corrections professionals. While 80 percent reported that the incarcerated population is increasing at their facility, 98 percent reported that officer staffing levels are decreasing. Low pay and a poor public image of the profession are among other key concerns by correctional officers.

“One Voice United and the Blue Ribbon Commission are shining an important light on the mental health of our brothers and sisters in corrections. It’s an honor to be named to the commission. This work aligns with our mission at GUARDIAN RFID on getting your team home safe – both physically and mentally,” said Ken Dalley, Founder and Chief Warrior of GUARDIAN RFID.

The 14-member panel of Blue Ribbon Commissioners include people with national standing who are not in the correctional workforce.

- Ken Dalley, Chairman and Chief Warrior of GUARDIAN RFID

- Rob English, Senior Organizer, Metro IAF

- Juan Gomez, Co-Founder and Executive Director, MILPA Collective

- Mary Kay Henry, International President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

- Julie James, Vice President of Criminal Justice, Arnold Ventures

- Darielle Kennedy, Chair, Student Senate, Oberlin College

- Rev. Terrence Melvin, Secretary Treasurer, New York State AFL-CIO

- Brianna Nuhfer, Vice President of Criminal Justice, Stand Together

- Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

- David Pitts, Director of the Prison Research & Innovation Initiative, Urban Institute

- Dr. Lisa Puglisi, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Yale

- Amanda Ripley, New York Times Best Selling Author and Investigative Journalist

- David Safavian, Director, ACUF's Nolan Center for Justice

- Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia, Managing Director of Justice Initiatives, Chicago Beyond

The hearing on Correctional Staff Wellness will be available via livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZ_51uDB5g.

ABOUT ONE VOICE UNITED

One Voice United (OVU) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to give frontline staff a voice in corrections reform. OVU is made up of the leading labor unions, corrections staff, criminal justice reform leaders, academics and policy makers with the goal of building bridges and advancing a unified approach to better inform the policies, programs and narratives that define criminal justice reform.

ABOUT GUARDIAN RFID

GUARDIAN RFID is a public safety technology company whose mission is to protect America’s Thin Gray Line: the 480,000 correctional officers protecting our nation’s jails and prisons. We help officers better execute the care, custody, and control mission-set through modern cloud, mobile, RFID and AI technologies that enable real-time situational awareness. Learn more at guardianrfid.com or connect with us across our social media channels: YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.