Corrections_Today_September_October_2023_Vol.85_No.5

NEWS&VIEWS

adapting to the inability to conduct drug tests; and finding ways to adopt technology to assist with monitor ing caseloads. During the pandemic, group treatment for mental health and substance use issues was severe ly limited. Fines and fees were often suspended, resulting in constraints on service provider and supervision agency budgets. And the “digital di vide” experienced by persons under supervision, who often cannot access the internet or other technology, was a recurring theme. 9 Already stressed agencies were left to supply those resources, a task made even more difficult by the lack of housing stabil ity during the pandemic. Community corrections agencies struggled to re spond to the heightened demand for services that they were less capable of providing. How did they adjust? To adjust to challenges brought on by COVID-19, community correc tions agencies increased their use of virtual supervision. Greater reliance on technology allowed for more efficient contact between commu nity corrections officers and persons under their supervision. Often the dosage of supervision was reduced and supervision terms were halted for individuals considered low-risk. For mental health and substance abuse treatment, counseling sessions and medication distributions in some jurisdictions were moved outdoors. 10 Promising practices As resources and capabilities allow, community supervision agen cies should consider continuing the use of telework because it provides flexibility to staff and conserves

resources. Virtual supervision mod els and telehealth can also continue to reduce the burden on individuals under supervision. (Hybrid mod els may be most effective to build relationships and reduce burden.) Virtual options also allow for a more “one size fits one” approach in which interactions can be reduced when helpful and resources can be redirected to persons with the great est needs. 11 Virtual options also allow for a more “one size fits one” approach in which interactions can be reduced when helpful and resources can be redirected to persons with the greatest needs. Research and evaluation ques tions raised Research questions that would greatly benefit all stakeholders in clude: 12 – Are virtual models as effec tive as in-person supervision,

counseling, and treatment? – Has the digital divide across different parts of the community corrections system affected the ability to continue operations during the pandemic? If so, in what ways? – How has the reduction in drug testing and electronic supervi sion affected outcomes? – What are the net savings for community supervision agen cies that implement virtual models? – How can changes made in response to the pandemic be distinguished from reforms already taking place? Taken together, these initial observations from the institutional and community corrections work shops offer actionable guidance to agencies navigating the impacts of COVID-19. The impact of COVID-19 on local jail populations Although the pandemic tremen dously stressed the nation’s criminal justice system, it also significantly changed local jail systems. From June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020, local jails experienced a large, 185,400-person reduction in their confined population, according to the 2021 BJS report on the impact of COVID-19 on local jail populations. 13 In more general terms, COVID-19 led to a 25% drop in persons detained in local jails. In fact, the jail incarceration rate at midyear 2020 (167 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents) was at the lowest level since 1990. Jail systems began to see reduc tions in their inmate populations as

18 — September/October 2023 Corrections Today