The U.S. criminal justice system in the pandemic era and beyond : taking stock of efforts to maintain safety and justice through the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future challenges / Brian A. Jackson, Michael J. D. Vermeer, Dulani Woods, Duren Banks, Sean E. Goodison, Joe Russo, Jeremy D. Barnum, Camille Gourdet, Lynn Langton, Michael G. Planty, Shoshana R. Shelton, Siara I. Sitar, Amanda R. Witwer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jackson, Brian A., 1972- author.

Vermeer, Michael J. D., author.

Woods, Dulani, author.

Banks, Duren, author.

Goodison, Sean E., author.

Russo, Joe, author.

Barnum, Jeremy D., author.

Gourdet, Camille, author.

Langton, Lynn, author.

Planty, Mike (Michael G.), author.

Shelton, Shoshana R., author.

Sitar, Siara I., author.

Witwer, Amanda R., author.

Contributor:

RAND Social and Economic Well-Being (Program)

Rand Corporation.

National Institute of Justice (U.S.), sponsoring body.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Criminal justice, Administration of--Health aspects--United States--History--21st century.

Criminal justice, Administration of.

COVID-19 (Disease)--Social aspects--United States.

COVID-19 (Disease).

Criminal justice, Administration of--Technological innovations--United States--History--21st century.

COVID-19 (Disease)--Government policy--United States.

COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023--United States.

COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023.

COVID-19 (Disease)--Government policy.

Criminal justice, Administration of--Technological innovations.

History.

COVID-19 (Disease)--Social aspects.

Criminal justice, Administration of--Health aspects.

United States.

Physical Description:

lii, 303 pages : color illustrations, color maps ; 28 cm

Other Title:

United States criminal justice system in the pandemic era and beyond

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, Calif. : RAND Corporation, [2021]

Summary:

Beginning in spring 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) swept through the United States, infecting millions and killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. In some areas, incarcerated populations were hit hard by the disease. Significant numbers of justice system practitioners, including law enforcement officers, court staff and leaders, corrections staff, and service providers were infected, and deaths from COVID-19 became a primary cause of lives lost in the line of duty. At the same time, national protests in response to the killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans focused attention on equity and fairness in the justice system, resulting in significant pressure for reform. The conditions faced by organizations across the justice system differed widely, and responses to address the risk of infection varied from place to place. Many of the responses to the pandemic focused on increases in physical distancing and the use of virtual technologies to continue the operations of the justice system while minimizing infection risk. In an effort to gather lessons learned from the responses of different justice agencies to the pandemic, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative convened a set of workshops at the end of September 2020 with justice agency representatives and others to take stock of what had been done and look toward the future. A variety of common challenges and innovations were identified in the workshops that assisted in continuing the operation of the system through the pandemic and also might support broader reforms and justice system innovation going forward.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: ch. One Introduction

The National Climate Made Responding to the Pandemic More Difficult

We Held a Series of Workshops to Collect Lessons from the Justice System's Response to the Pandemic

Tensions in the Justice System's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Reflect Broader Concerns About Reform and Change Going Forward

About This Report

ch. Two The Varied Challenges to the U.S. Justice System Posed by the COVID-19 Pandemic

A National Justice System Built of Many Individual Justice Systems

A National Pandemic Built of Many Individual Local Epidemics

Different State and Local Approaches to Protecting Public Health

Different Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Crime and Service Demand

Conclusions: Varied Justice Needs During the Pandemic Era

ch. Three Law Enforcement Agencies, Forensic Laboratories, and Crime-Prevention Initiatives

Making Major Strategy Changes to Protect Officers and the Public

Safely Managing a Police Agency in a Pandemic

Pandemic Policing, Public Health Enforcement, and Public Education

Law Enforcement Was Affected by Other Justice System Components' Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Funding and Defunding During the Pandemic

Taking Stock and Moving Forward

ch. Four The Court System

Initial Responses: Reducing the Flow of People and Cases into the Courts as Much as Possible

A Shift to Virtual Court Operations to Keep Staff and the Public Safe

Concerns About the Acceptability of Virtual Models Resulting in Case Backlogs and Leading to the Resumption or Expansion of In-Person Proceedings

Pandemic Effects on Court Funding and Pressures for Even More Change and Innovation

Taking Stock and Looking Forward

ch. Five Institutional Corrections: Prisons, Jails, and Other Custodial Facilities

Reducing Prison and Jail Populations to Reduce COVID-19 Risk

Managing Entry to Facilities in an Effort to Keep the Virus Out

Altering Practices to Limit COVID-19 Transmission Within Facilities

Virtually Linking into and out of Correctional Facilities

Managing Corrections Staff Members' Safety and Health

Cascading Effects of the Decisions of Other Justice System Components and Outside Entities

Funding Pressures Will Shape What Agencies Can Do as They Continue Response

ch. Six Community Corrections: Supervision and Service Provision

Supervising and Delivering Services to Rapidly Increasing Numbers of Individuals Virtually and at a Distance 1

Managing Community Corrections Agencies During a Pandemic

Decisionmaking Elsewhere in the Justice System Affected Community Corrections Entities

Different Funding Challenges for Government and Nongovernment Organizations

ch. Seven Victim Services Providers

Using Virtual Victim Services Models Helped, but Shelter and Food Cannot Be Delivered Virtually

Pandemic-Induced Isolation Requires New Strategies to Reach Victims

Safely Serving Victims During Pandemic Conditions Is More Difficult

Maintaining Staff Capacity and the Safety and Health of a Diverse Provider Workforce Is a Challenge

Changes in Other Parts of the Justice System Affect Providers and Victims

Acute Funding Concerns Threaten Victim Service Delivery

ch. Eight Conclusions: Considering the System-Wide Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Safety, Health, and Justice

Common Challenges and Resulting Innovations Across the Justice System

Decarceration and Reductions in Arrests Opened a Window to Ask More-Fundamental Questions About the Criminal Justice System

The Crisis in the Justice System Caused by the Pandemic Will Not Disappear the Moment the Virus Is Defeated

Building Toward a Safer and More Just Future While Weathering the Long-Term Consequences of the Pandemic

APPENDIX

A. Project Participants.

Notes:

"RAND Social and Economic Well-being."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-303).

See also RAND/RB-A108-1, RAND/RB-A108-2, RAND/RB-A108-3, RAND/RB-A108-4, RAND/RB-A108-5.

ISBN:

9781977406859

1977406858

OCLC:

1253457782