Facilities (General Capacity/Security)

Corrections Officer and Staff Safety and Wellness

JSS is providing support for the adoption of BWC within correctional agencies, jails and sheriffs’ offices, understanding that their deployment, uses, retention and investigations are significantly different from police agency applications of the technology. This effort supports Category 2 grantees as well as some Category 1 Sheriff's Offices.

Virtual Meeting to discuss projects scope, status and next steps.

Virtual Meeting to discuss projects scope, status and next steps.

During this quarter, the agency was mostly concerned with completing grant activities under its BJA-TTA 2020 grant. For 2020, A GAM is needed for reallocating monies from the forensic trauma interview training to another project. Additional projects are being explored and discussed. This GAM will be submitted when new goals and budgets are developed and approved.

During this reporting period, Louisiana OJJ closed out this grant. By the end of the grant, CJJA completed the staffing analysis and provided their report to the agency on time and within budget. The training for facility administrative staff to ensure that facility staffing is accomplished according to the facility's staffing plan was completed through a contract with SME Mykel Selph and the train-the-trainer was completed for agency training staff. The agency worked directly with their PREA Auditor to develop and implement a revised PREA Risk Assessment Instrument.

During this reporting period, the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (PRDCR) and JDI met several times. The grantee's main activities included updates to educational materials and progress on camera installations. PRDCR is currently awaiting approvals for their training contract, which has delayed further implementation toward that goal. Notably, their federal advisor's contractor's contract was once again up for renewal, posing a repeated challenge that has historically disrupted progress.

During this reporting period, the agency was mostly concerned with completing grant activities under its BJA-TTA 2020 grant, which the grantee was able to close. By the end of the grant, BSO-DoD purchased cameras and cables to upgrade the camera system in areas where existing cameras were beyond their life span. It was essential to the sexual safety of the incarcerated persons that cameras are up to date and depict clear images of activity in areas lacking direct supervision.

Essex County closed out their grant during this reporting period. By the end of the grant, Essex County established a permanent state-level position for a mental health clinician. The county tried multiples measures to solicit and hire for this position, including advertising through the existing contract medical provider and the local rape crisis center. Unfortunately, perhaps due to COVID or the impermanence of the position, they continued to encounter barriers to hiring.