Adults (18+)

During this reporting period, Colorado Department of Corrections closed out their grant. By the end of the grant, CDOC purchased and installed additional cameras and multiplexers to improve video storage capacity and enhance monitoring of staff and incarcerated persons. This upgrade supported timely investigations by retaining footage for a longer period. CODOC acknowledged there was a gap in acquiring video footage as part of a PREA investigation. By upgrading the camera and recording system, CODOC was able to complete more thorough investigations using video footage.

During this reporting period, the camera project at South Mississippi Correctional Institution is approximately 50% complete. Cameras will be added to holding cells. This is an addition to the original project and will require an additional purchase of cameras and a network video recorder (NVR). Cameras were installed at South Mississippi (SMCI). The DVR installation is pending delivery. Wires installation was complete for the infirmary cameras. Data continues to be sent manually to the PC.

During this reporting period, Henderson County closed out their grant. By the end of the grant, HCDC's PC and TMG's coach developed a plan to accomplish the grant goals. The plan included working with the Jailer and finance department to understand the benefits of using grant funds to improve sexual safety. HCDC's PC learned about the requirements of the PREA Standards through PREA Resource Center (PRC) trainings and webinars, reviewing information and available resources on the PRC website, participating in coaching calls, and completing a PREA investigator's training.

During this reporting period, the coach has kept in regular contact with the site during the reporting period. The majority of the work together has been around the PADOC's upcoming webinar to explain how they went about revising their risk screening tool and the system created to generate reports on incidents. The coach has encouraged the site to take the lead on presenting and the coach will provide support and will present only to frame the topic and to ask questions.PADOC has spent the fall conducting audits of one-third of their sites.

During the reporting period, Oregon Department of Corrections was able to complete the goals and objectives in the two-year time frame. Oregon DOC used grant funds to allocate a portion of an existing staff person's time to be used on this project. The previous PREA demonstration grant used funds to pay for the newly established PREA Compliance Specialist. This allowed the agency to observe the benefits of having this position. As a result, at the end of the grant the agency decided to make this a permanent, state-funded position.

During this reporting period, there has been improved communications between the funder and the sites in-between calls. The DOC has gone in person multiple times to work with the funder on reporting requirements. There have been reasons why DYA has not done this, and DYA continues to submit insufficient information for reporting purposes. The funder has said for a couple of months that they intend to speak with the Director of DYA about the challenges, but this has not happened for a number of reasons.

During this reporting period, TDCJ continued to lack communication from the TDCJ finance department, alerting the person managing the grant about how much remains to be spent in each grant. The grant manager is poised to use the funds but does not want to over or under-spend. The coach is going to reach out to TDCJ. The other struggle has to do with the organization around PREA. The Safe Prisons Program is housed within TDCJ. However, the PREA Coordinator is also the PREA Ombudsman and is not employed by TDCJ, but by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice.

During this reporting period, the coach has been in regular contact with Maine DOC. As mentioned in previous reports, the agency has had turnover in the PREA Coordinator position in the last year. The agency appointed an interim PC, but they did not want to make changes to the grant without the permanent PC being in place. A permanent PC was soon appointed and the interim and the new PC seemed poised to quickly move the grant along. For example, they got a translation of the PRC intake video done for those who speak Somali.

Site visit - September 9 -12, the CSG Justice Center staff traveled to North Carolina to meet with NC DAC staff and House Justice Public Safety Members to discuss current project goals and gauge interest in future JRI work.

8/22: CSG Justice Center met with Rob Jeffreys (Director, NDCS), Dawn Renee Smith (Deputy Director, Rehabilitative Services, NDCS) and Janee Pannkuk (Assistant Deputy Director, Reentry, NDCS) at the Central Office in Lincoln, NE to debrief the site visit and discuss additional oversight responsibilities and the allocation of resources, with a focus on enhancing reentry programs to improve parole outcomes. (3 participants, 1 agency)