Corrections_Today_September_October_2021_Vol.83_No.5

NIJ Update

NIJ and BJS reports and briefs

To maintain health and safety, corrections agencies had to reduce their incarcerated population and develop strategies for quarantine, such as physical distancing, wearing masks and enhancing hygiene practices.

As part of that effort, NIJ and BJS have released reports and briefs to support corrections agencies as they continue to adjust their practices and begin to resume pre-pandemic operations. Through the NIJ-funded Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative, 3 the RAND Corporation recently hosted a series of workshops with key stakeholders to examine CO- VID–19’s impact on the criminal justice system. This article highlights findings from the institutional and community corrections workshops, 4 then discusses a recent BJS report on the pandemic’s impact on local jail populations. Institutional corrections responses to COVID–19 RAND’s report on the workshops, Institutional Corrections System’s COVID–19 Response, describes common factors that may have helped the virus spread in correction- al settings. 5 For example, a number of corrections agencies could not move activities outdoors, lacked ven- tilation systems that could address airborne viruses, had dense prison populations, needed to house indi- viduals in shared spaces and required frequent exits and entries by staff and individuals under custody. Workshop attendees raised specific challenges, such as con - ducting enough COVID–19 tests, knowing how to best use test results and addressing the health needs of incarcerated persons. Because many corrections agencies rely on external health care systems, their ability to

legal counsel, as facilities denied entry to visitors and all but essential personnel. Things to consider beyond the pandemic Workshop participants encour- aged corrections agencies, to the extent feasible, to maintain reduced populations; 7 continue using virtual technologies for visitation, court hearings and telehealth; allow certain corrections staff to telework; and include correctional facilities in local disaster planning. The crisis brought on by COVID–19 has also provided opportunities to implement and sustain reforms that are generally beneficial to corrections. Research and evaluation questions for future consideration The workshops also served to generate empirical questions that should be examined. A few that could substantially benefit all stake - holders are: 8 –– How can data be collected to better understand the disease burden across demographic groups in correctional facilities?

serve incarcerated populations was strained by competing community service demands. That challenge was further complicated by the large por- tions of the corrections population who were deemed at high risk for severe illness or death from COV- ID–19. Those at-risk groups include the elderly, persons with preexist- ing health conditions and members of minority groups. 6 Facilities also struggled to deliver COVID–19 treatment and services to persons with mental health and behavioral disorders. Additionally, corrections staff faced heavy burdens, particular- ly when they contracted the virus or were required to quarantine, further stressing the staff who remained at work. How did they adapt? To maintain health and safety, corrections agencies had to reduce their incarcerated population and develop strategies for quarantine, such as physical distancing, wear- ing masks and enhancing hygiene practices. Most incarcerated persons had to rely on technology to keep in contact with their families and

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