COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Resource

Recent Webinars

Using Technology to Enhance Treatment and Recovery for People Involved in the Criminal Justice System

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This webinar, held by the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) and the Addiction Policy Forum (APF), included an overview of the technology options to assist people with substance use disorders during the pandemic and moving forward. APF demonstrated the Connections App, a scientifically proven relapse prevention smartphone app that supports people in recovery. APF, in partnership with the FORE Foundation, is pilot testing the use of the Connections App with 1,000 individuals involved in the criminal justice system. The app has been scientifically proven to lengthen periods of abstinence and to reduce the number of heavy use days among people in recovery. It includes engagement and eTherapy (CBT4CBT) components, as well as a “recovery help button” with access to recovery specialists. While the app has a proven track record of success in outpatient settings, this will be the first time that the app has been used specifically with the criminal justice population.

Supporting Indigent Defense Programs During Times of Crisis

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The webinar, jointly sponsored by the National Criminal Justice Association and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, will discuss how Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) funds and Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) can be used to support indigent defense programs in the time of COVID 19 and in the future.

Speakers:

Marea Beeman, Director, Research Initiatives, Defender Legal Services, NLADA
Chris Kervick, Executive Director, DE Criminal Justice Council
Jonathan Sacks, MI State Appellate Defender Office and Criminal Defense Resource Center
Stephen Hattori, Executive Director, GU Public Defender Service
Cathleen L.G. Moylan, Program Coordinator IV, GU Public Defender Service

Supervision Technology in the Age of Coronavirus: Monitoring for Today and in the Future

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As states and localities speed up the pace of unscheduled release from prisons and jails in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, post-release supervision and referral to treatment are made more difficult by conditions of quarantine and limited face-to-face interactions. Reentry services, as well as pretrial and prearrest diversion practices are also impacted.

In this webinar hear from practitioners about various supervision technology solutions available and how they are used by probation, parole and community-based service providers. Discussion will include what has changed due to coronavirus, and what this means for the use of these technologies in the future.

Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Primer

View a primer on the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) program including eligibility, allowable uses and how to access funding. To accompany this webinar, NCJA has created a new fact sheet to help local direct awardees and potential subrecipients to understand and access funding under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program.

Courtroom Technology in the Age of Coronavirus: Supporting the Criminal Justice System as it Turns Digital

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View this webinar by National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA), the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), the Due Process Institute (DPI) and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) focused on the problems facing courts, prosecutors, and public defenders as hearings and trials increasingly rely on digital technology in response to COVID-19.

Hear from practitioners in the criminal justice system on potential challenges in the field as jurisdictions attempt to hold criminal and civil proceedings virtually. This webinar will also cover how recent federal funding passed by Congress can be used to assist criminal justice systems in paying for the technology and resources to hold these proceedings virtually. NCJA, NDAA, DPI, and NCSC will provide attendees with an inside look at how digital technologies are being implemented in our criminal justice system as well as an overview of how state administrating agencies can support our courts during the ongoing pandemic.

Understanding FEMA and Coordinating Response With State and Local Emergency Managers

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View a webinar about the authorities and funding available under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during the coronavirus. SAAs and other grantees need to coordinate Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program in partnership with their state and local emergency management agencies.

The webinar included discussion about:

The purpose and focus of a governor’s emergency declaration under the Stafford Act;
How FEMA, the state emergency management agencies, and county emergency managers coordinate funding and response activities;
How supplies and other resources are directed through the local, state and national emergency stockpiles;
The emergency response funding streams under the CARES Act; and,
How state and local law enforcement agencies work with their state and county emergency management agencies to meet their first responder needs and address immediate needs in their detention facilities.

The speakers were:

Matt Cowles, Deputy Director of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), who will discuss the authorities provided by the Stafford Act and governors’ emergency declarations. NEMA is the national association of the state emergency management agencies.
Geoff Dean, Ventura County Sheriff (Ret.), who will discuss strategic considerations for law enforcement leaders and jail administrators working with their emergency management partners during the COVID-19 response.

SAA CESF Survey Report

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In the fall of 2020, NCJA surveyed the State Administering Agencies (SAAs) about investments made under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) program. The survey found that SAAs are investing the grant funds broadly to address justice system needs and responses to COVID-19.

Fact Sheets

CESF Local Subrecipient Fact Sheet

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This fact sheet includes information for direct awardees and potential subrecipients to understand and access funding under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program. It includes an overview of the CESF program, eligibility, the direct award and subrecipient process, allowable uses and explains some of the important differences between CESF and Byrne JAG funding.

CESF Program Summary

Download the Fact Sheet

This one-page fact sheet provides a short, easy to read summary of the purpose and allowable uses of the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program.

COVID-19 Stimulus Response Bill

On Friday, March 27th, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, a $2 trillion stimulus package that is meant to: stabilize the national economy; provide immediate resources to most Americans; extend unemployment insurance; provide relief for industries particularly impacted by social distancing; provide blanket support to states and local governments; and, provide additional funding for grant programs and federally-funded services intended to help communities respond to the pandemic. Download the text and a section-by-section summary of the relevant sections of the final bill.

The bill provides $850 million through the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) Program formula “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally…”. Congress chose the Byrne JAG formula as the best mechanism for getting new funding out to the states and localities as quickly as possible and to respond to needs from across the justice system.

The new funding is called the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) program. View the solicitation. The funding will be administered by the State Administering Agencies (SAAs). To find the SAA in your state, visit our SAA Directory.

Connect2Justice

Connect2Justice (C2J) is our community website for NCJA members and designated employees of member agencies and organizations to discuss ideas, ask questions, share resources, post about upcoming events, and network individually with colleagues. Right now, members are sharing support and best practices about how their organizations and jurisdictions are responding to COVID-19. If you are a member, please visit Connect2Justice to get involved, and if you are not a member, please join NCJA to participate in the conversation.

Connect2Grants

For funding opportunities, please visit Connect2Grants, a continually updated listing of open grant solicitations from dozens of funding sources, both public and private, all in one place. This catalog of grant opportunities ensures that NCJA members have access the most up-to-date listing of open solicitations specifically related to COVID-19 and other topics of immediate interest to those involved with the criminal justice system. Members can see open solicitations by visiting our grants database, and if you are not a member, please join NCJA to view currently available funding.

Additional Resources

The National Institute of Corrections has gathered emergency and health information about the virus and resources specific to the field of criminal justice from partners in the field including the Bureau of Prisons, latest guidance from CDC on correctional facilities, and a variety of national associations.

Highlights include:

Upcoming Live Events related to COVID-19
Health updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Guidance from the White House
News about what agencies throughout the federal government are doing
The Bureau of Prisons response to COVID-19
Links to the COVID-19 webpages of professional associations including:
- American Correctional Association (ACA)
- American Jail Association (AJA)
- American Probation and Parole Association (APPA)
- American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
- Correctional Leaders Association (CLA)
- The Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA)
- The Council of State Governments (CSG)
- International Corrections & Prisons Association (ICPA)
- Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA)
- National Association of Counties (NACo)
- National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP)
- National Center for State Courts (NCSC)
- National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC)
- National Governors Association (NGA)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- National Partnership for Juvenile Services (NPJS)
- National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)

The Council of State Governments has also compiled Executive Orders from all states, and the Vera Institute of Justice has also published resources for criminal and immigration legal systems.'