Toll of prison staff shortages on guards, prisoners and their families

America’s prisons are facing staffing shortages. Inside Story reveals what this means for incarcerated people, their families and the corrections staff tasked with making prisons run.

Host Lawrence Bartley catches up with comedian Donnell Rawlings on tour to learn how he went from being a military police officer to the stand-up stage, and how his personal connection to the system impacted him.

And Carol Shapiro, former assistant commissioner at New York’s Rikers Island, explains how trying to make a difference during a stint on the state’s parole board changed the way she sees the system altogether.

In his closing message, Bartley remembers a visit to a Texas prison and being able to watch an incarcerated person feeling the sunshine on his face after months of being held inside because of staffing shortages.