Teen (13 - 19)

During this reporting period, the current PREA screening tool, instructions/procedures, and other related content was reviewed and revised. The agency requested guidance to develop an objective PREA risk assessment to determine the resident risk of victimization or abusiveness. PREA risk assessment instructions will be provided with the revised risk assessment tool. The team discussed numerical weightings for the risk screening tool.
TMG coaches met with the agency contacts for a coaching session on October 25, 2023.

During this reporting period, the PREA Coordinator abruptly left their position. An interim PC was identified; however, the PREA implementation has slowed significantly so the interim PC can better understand what is required for PREA compliance and grant strategy completion. An NCE, budget and program GAM was discussed, reviewed, revised and submitted. The NCE was approved. TMG coaches and administrative staff were heavily involved in guiding the agency through this process. The MOU with Swedish-American Hospital was not approved and signed by the county's court services director.

During this reporting period, the agency PREA Coordinator (PC) discussed difficulties the agency has with PREA implementation. The coaches established an agenda for the coaching calls with all grant goals listed. This will assist the grantee with staying on task with goals. The coaches will provide guidelines to input progress, and assignments. The PC was assigned additional duties since the compliance staff left the agency. The PC expressed concerns about hiring one investigator. The investigator is expected to be on board at the beginning of 2024.

During this review period, the team discussed the requirements of PREA Standard 115.315. The PC was assisted with her presentation to the leadership team and to form a workgroup to begin discussing the PREA Standards. The meeting went well, and the leadership committed to providing resources necessary for PREA compliance. The team discussed scheduling a PREA audit for 2024. Coaches cautioned that without access to documentation or policy, it's difficult to assess whether the facility is prepared for an audit.

During this review period, girls were moved from a contract facility to a LA OJJ facility that previously housed boys. The girls are expected to remain at the facility for six months. The boys were moved into a different facility. The PC requested guidance on providing staff with training on gender responsive practices. The team discussed a variety of training possibilities, including LA OJJ funding training under other grants. The coaches also offered to assist with policy and SOP review. The agency completed follow-up meetings from the leadership retreat.

During this reporting period, the agency reported progress in facility staffing plans following the staffing plan trainings that were completed in the previous quarter. There was a pause in this work in May to accommodate emergency planning and response for hurricane season. The Train the Trainer program was completed during the quarter. PREA risk assessment screening updates have been completed and are being implemented in facilities through the course of this quarter.

During this reporting period JDI coaches met with the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (PRDCR). The agency lost their federal grant consultant who was one of the coaches main contacts for this project. Nonetheless, the PREA Coordinator has made some progress on the project goals, including the purchasing of cameras, grievance boxes and educational materials. They are also working with a training company to finalize a contract for staff training modules on various subjects including sexual victimization, communication and boundaries, culture and conflict.

Cases responded to and closed during the reporting period July - December 2023 were 374

PRC staff attended the National Partnership for Juvenile Services conference September 3-6, 2023 to introduce our agency and services to members of the NPJS. In 2004, the Council for Educators of At-Risk and Delinquent Youth (CEARDY), the Juvenile Justice Trainers Association (JJTA), the National Association for Juvenile Correctional Agencies (NAJCA), and the National Juvenile Detention Association (NJDA) merged their respective membership organizations under one operational structure. The resulting organization is the National Partnership for Juvenile Services (NJPS).

Staff with PRC presented information on PREA Implementation within Juvenile Justice Agencies and Facilities at Meetings conducted by the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators. PRC Staff Director Dana Shoenberg and PRC Staff Senior Program Manager, Teresa Stroud presented.