Inmate Assistance Programs

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.

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.

Cases responded to and closed during the reporting period July - December 2024 were 409.

The Jails and Justice Support Center (JJSC) assists jails in creating and sustaining safe, humane, and effective environments for their populations, including incarcerated individuals, staff, and visitors. The JJSC engages directly with jurisdictions in the delivery of training and technical assistance on the identified core topics. In addition to providing technical assistance and resources for jails, the JJSC also serves as a hub for other federally funded programs and resources.

A nine-member focus group was conducted to identify the needs related to continuity of care.

Seven-person focus group was conducted to identify the needs of jails related to MAT and Behavioral Health Services.

Six-person focus group to assess needs related to substance use screening and asessment

Hosted a focus group to understand the needs of jails related to withdrawal management.

The Fidelity Assessment Instrument was developed in order to operationalize the standards set forth in the Promising Practices Guidelines (PPGs). The instrument is divided into the same section sections and components as contained in the PPGs. The instrument scores how programs meet each component as set forth in the PPGs. The outcome of the FAI process is a report that scores how programs align with the PPGs and provides individualized recommendations for further training and technical assistance where gaps or shortcomings are identified.

The Fidelity Assessment Instrument was developed in order to operationalize the standards set forth in the Promising Practices Guidelines (PPGs). The instrument is divided into the same section sections and components as contained in the PPGs. The instrument scores how programs meet each component as set forth in the PPGs. The outcome of the FAI process is a report that scores how programs align with the PPGs and provides individualized recommendations for further training and technical assistance where gaps or shortcomings are identified.