Utah Department of Corrections centralizes staff communications with "UDC Connect" intranet

The Utah Department of Corrections has moved to centralize internal communications by rolling out an intranet called UDC Connect and reshaping how the agency shares training, clearance and operational information with staff, Commissioner Jared Garcia and Communications Director Nicole Vow said on the department's "Conversations with Corrections" podcast.

Commissioner Jared Garcia said the change was prompted by an audit and regular staff surveys that found employees felt the agency underperformed on internal communication and on recognizing staff achievements. "The audit and the survey found is that staff felt like we were underperforming in the area of both internal communication and employee recognition," Garcia said.

Nicole Vow, identified in the episode as the communications director, described the new platform as a centralized hub that brings together training calendars, certification requirements and links to operational applications. "We launched a really robust internal website'or internet'or employee website that really centralized a lot of our information that we were sharing," Vow said, adding the site includes a learning center that separates new-hire training, certified-staff training and state-required annual courses so staff can find certification deadlines and required modules in one place.

The department said the strategy guiding UDC Connect rests on four principles: informing staff, aligning staff with leadership priorities, connecting employees across divisions and supporting change-management efforts. Vow said the communications team worked with the department's Technology & Innovation division and DTS to replatform legacy systems into the new hub and to integrate tools staff use daily. "We're replatforming how we do clearances to UDC Connect," she said of the system known as Simon, which tracks where staff work and their clearance levels. Vow also said OOTRA, Blue Team and Aadis will be accessible through the hub.

Officials described complementary channels to reach employees who do not primarily use the intranet: improved email practices, digital signage for shared spaces, shift-commander briefings and leadership listening tours. Those listening tours, Garcia said, helped validate the direction. "We've gotten a lot of positive feedback about how user friendly the UDC Connect page is," Vow added.

Vow framed the work on UDC Connect as part of a broader modernization effort and said the communications team is applying change-management frameworks that emphasize awareness, buy-in, training and reinforcement. "There's specific change management frameworks and best practices that we're following," she said.

Commissioner Garcia emphasized the importance of two-way, or "circular," communication across experience levels so leaders can adapt plans based on staff feedback and help make corrections work a long-term career. "We want honest feedback from our staff. So, I think it's good that we got honest feedback in those areas, and we've tried to demonstrate that we're going to take action when we do get feedback," Garcia said.

The department said the move is intended to reduce siloed email communications, support compliance with state-mandated trainings, and highlight staff accomplishments across divisions. The podcast closed by noting the episode and UDC resources are available on the department's YouTube page and other podcast platforms.

Ending note: The hosts said the communications changes are ongoing; UDC Connect will continue to be developed and updated as staff needs and departmental priorities evolve.