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Nuclear Waste Disposal: Better Planning Needed to Avoid Potential Disruptions at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOE's [Department of Energy] WIPP [Waste Isolation Pilot Plant] is the nation's only deep geologic repository for the disposal of defense-related nuclear waste. DOE suspended operations at WIPP after two accidents in 2014 and resumed on a limited scale in 2017. DOE has initiated two projects to improve WIPP's underground ventilation system and allow full disposal operations to resume. However, DOE estimates WIPP's existing physical space will be full around 2025, and DOE faces a statutory limitation on how much waste can be disposed of at WIPP. Senate Report No. 115-125 accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review DOE's actions to bring WIPP towards full operational status. This report examines DOE's (1) plans to meet needs for physical space at WIPP without exceeding WIPP's statutory capacity, (2) challenges to completing key ventilation projects, and (3) plans for adding physical space at WIPP without interruption to operations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Defense Acquisitions: Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture Would Benefit from Defined Goals and Governance, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Cyberspace is a growing, human-made environment that touches many parts of life, including education, economic development, health, and other public services. For DOD, cyberspace is as important as the traditional land, sea, air, and space warfighting domains. To integrate these disparate cyber systems into a more cohesive capability, U.S. Cyber Command introduced an overarching vision for cyber capabilities known as the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture. The Senate Armed Services Committee included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the status of the JCWA [Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture]. This report (1) describes the JCWA concept, systems, and planned capabilities; and (2) assesses the extent to which DOD has defined interoperability goals and a governance structure to guide JCWA cyber system acquisitions."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Defense Intelligence: Comprehensive Plan Needed to Improve Stakeholder Engagement in the Development of New Military Intelligence System, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Foundational military intelligence--all-source intelligence collected by the Intelligence Community (IC) on other countries' militaries--is a critical element in planning for military operations. The DIA [Defense Intelligence Agency] legacy system for processing such intelligence is unable to meet current needs, and DIA intends to replace it with MARS [Machine-Assisted Analytic Rapid-Repository System]. MARS is expected to transform the way the IC approaches and generates foundational military intelligence. However, agencies can face a wide array of issues in developing a new system of this magnitude, including incorporating feedback from a large number of stakeholders. A committee report accompanying the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review MARS development. This report (1) describes the initial risks DIA and stakeholders have identified in the development of MARS and the actions DIA has taken to manage risk and (2) assesses how DIA is engaging potential stakeholders in the development of capabilities for the MARS program."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Stop the Virus of Disinformation: The Risk of Malicious Use of Social Media During COVID-19 and the Technology Options to Fight it
From the Foreword: "This report describes how terrorist, violent extremist and organized criminal groups are trying to take advantage of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to expand their activities and jeopardize the efficacy and credibility of response measures by governments. Misinformation and disinformation on social media are not new problems, but the COVID-19 crisis has amplified them and created new opportunities for violent non-state actors. [...] It is also alarming that some terrorist and violent extremist groups have attempted to misuse social media to incite potential terrorists to intentionally spread COVID-19 and to use it as an improvised form of a biological weapon. Moreover, some criminal organizations have taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to portray a positive self-image to reinforce their presence and control in the territory and to further expand their illegal activities. [...] We hope this report enhances knowledge and understanding of this complex problem and encourages the identification of new approaches to prevent and combat the malicious use of social media by violent non-state actors."
United Nations. Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute
Binetti, Soraya; Rosa, Fabrizio De; Garcia, Mariana Diaz . . .
2020-11
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Detection of COVID-19 in Wastewater
From the Overview: "This brief will provide an introduction to the use of SARS CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] monitoring in wastewater as an early warning system for increased infections in communities. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a relatively new but quickly evolving surveillance tool that can detect the presence of certain viruses in community water systems, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. This non-invasive method can measure the presence of COVID-19 genetic material (ribonucleic acid [RNA]) in fecal matter in a sewershed, the area that drains into a community's wastewater collection system."
Environmental Research Institute of the States; Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (U.S.)
2020-11
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Consumer Product Safety Commission: Actions Needed to Improve Processes for Addressing Product Defect Cases, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "CPSC [Consumer Product Safety Commission] is responsible for ensuring the safety of thousands of consumer products ranging from children's toys to off-road recreational vehicles. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review CPSC's processes for addressing product safety hazards. Among other objectives, this report examines the extent to which CPSC has (1) taken steps to prioritize and address product safety hazards in a timely and efficient manner; (2) overseen firms' compliance with corrective action plans and taken steps to address noncompliance; and (3) taken steps to assess the effectiveness of different types of corrective actions."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Puerto Rico Electricity: FEMA and HUD Have Not Approved Long-Term Projects and Need to Implement Recommendations to Address Uncertainties and Enhance Resilience, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria damaged Puerto Rico's electricity grid, causing the longest blackout in U.S. history. It took roughly 11 months after the hurricanes for power to be restored to all of the customers with structures deemed safe for power restoration. Since electricity service has been restored, local entities have undertaken the longer-term task of more fully repairing and rebuilding the grid. GAO [Government Accountability Office] reported in 2019 on challenges hindering progress in rebuilding the grid and recommended that FEMA and HUD [Department of Housing and Urban Development] take actions to address these challenges. This report examines the status of efforts to support long-term grid recovery in Puerto Rico, including actions taken by FEMA and HUD to implement GAO's 2019 recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Human Trafficking Prevention: Strategies for Runaway and Homeless Youth Settings
From the Executive Summary: "This Issue Brief explores strategies to integrate human trafficking (HT) prevention into Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) programs. These strategies emphasize the vital role that RHY programs can play in the prevention of sex and labor trafficking among runaway and homeless youth. It also highlights the importance of integrating public health, trauma-informed, and positive youth development principles in the development and implementation of HT prevention interventions. Key highlights of this Issue Brief include: [1] Integrating sex and labor trafficking prevention strategies based on the unique experiences, needs, and strengths of RHY. [2] Building local capacity in HT prevention efforts by educating community stakeholders on the intersection of HT, runaway incidents, and youth homelessness. [3] Using existing programmatic frameworks to incorporate HT prevention components into RHY settings. [4] Addressing the root causes and social conditions in which RHY become vulnerable to exploitation, violence, and HT."
United States. Administration for Children and Families
2020-11
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Elements of the China Challenge
From the Document: "Awareness has been growing in the United States -- and in nations around the world -- that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has triggered a new era of great-power competition. Even as the United States seeks cooperation and welcomes rules-based competition, responsible American statecraft depends on grasping the mounting challenge that the People's Republic of China (PRC) poses to free and sovereign nation-states and to the free, open, and rules-based international order that is essential to their security, stability, and prosperity. The CCP's recklessness in allowing the novel coronavirus born in Wuhan to develop into a global pandemic coupled with the concerted disinformation campaign that Beijing undertook to conceal China's culpability should put doubts to rest. Yet many people lack a proper understanding of the character and scope of the China challenge. [...] The purpose of this unclassified Policy Planning Staff paper is to step back and take a long-term view, elaborate the elements of the China challenge, and sketch a framework for the fashioning of sturdy policies that stand above bureaucratic squabbles and interagency turf battles and transcend short-term election cycles. The United States' overarching aim should be to secure freedom."
United States. Department of State. Office of Policy Planning
2020-11
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Technology Assessment: 5G Wireless: Capabilities and Challenges for an Evolving Network, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Document: "GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess the technologies associated with 5G [fifth-generation wireless networks] and their implications. This report discusses (1) how the performance goals and expected uses are to be realized in U.S. 5G wireless networks, (2) the challenges that could affect the performance or usage of 5G wireless networks in the U.S., and (3) policy options to address these challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Disaster Response: Agencies Should Assess Contracting Workforce Needs and Purchase Card Fraud Risk, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The 2017 and 2018 hurricanes and California wildfires affected millions of people and caused billions of dollars in damages. Extreme weather events are expected to become more frequent and intense due to climate change. Federal contracts for goods and services play a key role in disaster response and recovery, and government purchase cards can be used by agency staff to buy needed items. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal response and recovery efforts related to recent disasters. This report examines the extent to which selected agencies planned for their disaster response contracting activities, assessed their contracting workforce needs, and assessed the fraud risk related to their use of purchase cards for disaster response."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Reagan National Airport: Information on Effects of Federal Statute Limiting Long-Distance Flights, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Reagan National's perimeter and slot control rules were designed in part, respectively, to help increase use of Dulles and manage congestion at Reagan National by limiting the number of flights. On three occasions--2000, 2003, and 2012-- federal statutes have provided exemptions to the perimeter rule, collectively allowing 40 daily beyond-perimeter flights (20 round trips) at Reagan National. Of these exemptions, 32 were new beyond-perimeter flights and eight allowed airlines to convert existing slots to beyond-perimeter flights. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) operates Reagan National and Dulles, and DOT [Department of Transportation] and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversee these rules. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to update its past work on the perimeter rule. This report describes (1) the effects of beyond-perimeter flights at Reagan National, and (2) key considerations if additional beyond-perimeter flights are allowed."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Household Food Insecurity and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Housing Assistance
From the Abstract: "The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides housing rental assistance to more than 4.5 million low-income households. Using health survey data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) linked to Federal housing administrative data, household food insecurity was assessed among adults receiving housing assistance at the time of their NHIS interview during 2011 and 2012 (n=2,089). Food-insecure households had difficulty at times providing adequate food for all their members due to limited resources. Among NHIS adult respondents receiving HUD assistance, 37.2 percent reported household food insecurity (including low and very low food security), while 19.1 percent experienced very low food security, the more severe range of food insecurity characterized by disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake. Analyses revealed that adults in the Housing Choice Voucher program were significantly more likely to report household food insecurity than adults in other HUD programs (Public Housing and Multifamily Housing), net of other characteristics. Although housing assistance programs are designed to free financial resources associated with housing cost burden, household food insecurity is still prominent among low-income, HUD-assisted adults."
United States. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service
Helms, Veronica E.; Coleman-Jensen, Alisha; Gray, Regina . . .
2020-11
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Caring for Women with Opioid Use Disorder: A Toolkit for Organization Leaders and Providers
From the Introduction: "Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a public health crisis affecting women, men, children, and society. Women with OUD have unique care needs and require a broad range of medical, behavioral health, and social services to meet these needs. Care coordination is important to manage the array of services that might be delivered to women in different settings. Without care coordination, women with OUD might struggle to access the services they need to get treatment and maintain recovery. This toolkit is a guide to help you and other health care and social service organization leaders and providers improve care coordination for women with OUD in HRSA [Health Resources and Services Administration]-supported programs. The information in this toolkit may also apply to other settings of care."
United States. Health Resources and Services Administration; United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2020-11
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Did the Paycheck Protection Program Hit the Target?
From the Abstract: "This paper takes an early look at the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a large and novel small business support program that was part of the initial policy response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. We use new data on the distribution of the first round of PPP loans and high-frequency microlevel employment data to consider two dimensions of program targeting. First, we do not find evidence that funds flowed to areas more adversely affected by the economic effects of the pandemic, as measured by declines in hours worked or business shutdowns. If anything, funds flowed to areas less hard hit. Second, we find significant heterogeneity across banks in terms of disbursing PPP funds, which does not only reflect differences in underlying loan demand. The top-4 banks alone account for 36% of total pre-policy small business loans, but disbursed less than 3% of all PPP loans in the first round. Areas that were significantly more exposed to low PPP banks received much lower loan allocations. We do not find evidence that the PPP had a substantial effect on local economic outcomes--including declines in hours worked, business shutdowns, initial unemployment insurance claims, and small business revenues--during the first round of the program. Firms appear to use first round funds to build up savings and meet loan and other commitments, which points to possible medium-run impacts. As data become available, we will continue to study employment and establishment responses to the program and the impact of PPP support on the economic recovery. Measuring these responses is critical for evaluating the social insurance value of the PPP and similar policies."
National Bureau of Economic Research
Granja, João; Makridis, Christos A.; Yannelis, Constantine . . .
2020-11
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PPE Preservation Planning Toolkit
From the Document: "This toolkit is designed to aid organizations by maximizing the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by planning and implementing preservation strategies. It provides estimates of the value of implementing preservation actions to reduce (use of), to reuse, or to repurpose PPE, as described in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic: Personal Protective Equipment Preservation Best Practices fact sheet, in conventional, contingency, or crisis capacity conditions (as defined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Optimizing Supply of PPE and Other Equipment during Shortages). Users enter data on their current or prospective PPE use practices. The toolkit assists users to understand preservation strategies their organizations can implement. It also provides estimates of the positive impacts of using those strategies in increasing the duration of PPE supplies."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2020-11
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Final Report: Information and Communications Technology Risk Reduction Subcommittee
From the Executive Summary: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has significant and timely opportunities to reduce risks posed by the vital acquisition of information and communications technology (ICT). [...] Managing ICT risk is complex and difficult with many serious inherent challenges in accessibility, scope, and process. Actions by China and other nations pose increasingly grave threats to supply chains that provide the Department's ICT hardware, software, and support services. In addition, DHS must prioritize modernizing its own ICT systems to successfully execute its imperative missions, including countering cyberattacks launched from compromised ICT equipment. This report recommends five ways DHS can meet these challenges and produce a resilient, durable network to protect the country in the event of emergency or attack: 1. Develop an effective and robust risk management framework to guide ICT procurement across the government, with particular emphasis on unclassified systems; 2. Standardize the sharing and reception of threat data from the IC and across departments and agencies; 3. Establish a joint National Supply Chain Intelligence Center (NSCIC) Center of Excellence within DHS to operationalize and mature ICT risk reduction efforts; 4. Conduct a comprehensive review of the DHS procurement office authorities to ensure and maintain capabilities adequate for reducing ICT risks for the department; 5. Include and integrate the private sector into the effort to secure the ICT supply chain."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2020-11
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Short-Period Building Collapse Performance and Recommendations for Improving Seismic Design: Volume 1 -- Overarching Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations
From the Introduction: "This report summarizes the approaches, analyses, findings, conclusions, and recommendations for a series of studies on the gap between analytically predicted and historically observed earthquake-induced collapse rates for short-period buildings. It also presents a common understanding of the response behavior and collapse performance of short-period buildings subjected to strong earthquake ground motions. The Applied Technology Council (ATC) was commissioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct these studies as part of the ATC-116 Project series, 'Solutions to the Issue of Short Period Building Performance.'"
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (U.S.)
2020-11
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Polypandemic: Munich Security Report Special Edition on Development, Fragility, and Conflict in the Era of Covid-19
From the Executive Summary: "With Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], the world is being confronted with multiple pandemics rather than just one. Covid-19 has provoked a polypandemic that is undermining development progress, exacerbating state fragility, and potentially further eroding international cooperation. If left unmitigated, the coronavirus pandemic and the pandemics that accompany it, including those of hunger, inequality, and authoritarian rule, will disproportionately hit those populations that were most vulnerable to begin with."
Munich Security Conference
Eisentraut, Sophie; Miehe, Luca; Hartmann, Laura M. . . .
2020-11
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CRCL Newsletter (November 2020)
"The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) supports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as it secures the nation while preserving individual liberty, fairness, and equality under the law." This issue of the CRCL Newsletter contains the following articles: "CRCL Continues Monthly Webinar Series on DHS Civil Rights Evaluation Tool"; "CRCL Participates in FEMA Civil Rights Stakeholder Summits"; "10 Years of Blue Campaign"; "DHS Celebrates National American Indian Heritage Month"; and "CRCL on the Road, November."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
2020-11
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Remote Inspection of Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn
From the Introduction: "The CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has noted that the confined nature of correctional facilities, combined with their congregant environments, 'heighten[s] the potential for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] to spread once introduced' into a facility. According to BOP [Bureau of Prisons] data, as of October 13, 2020, 15,715 inmates and 1,954 BOP staff in BOP-managed institutions and community-based facilities had tested positive for COVID-19. In those institutions where widespread inmate testing has been conducted, the percentage of inmates testing positive has been substantial. At the time of our fieldwork, Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Brooklyn was not conducting widespread inmate testing for COVID-19. Between April 30 and June 10, 2020, the DOJ OIG [Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General] conducted a remote inspection of MDC Brooklyn, located in Brooklyn, New York, to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the institution and to assess the steps MDC Brooklyn officials took to prepare for, prevent, and manage COVID-19 transmission."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2020-11
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Addressing Student Reengagement in the Time of COVID-19: Resource Guide
From the Introduction: "Across the country, school and local leaders have reported steep declines in school enrollment and engagement since March 2020, with many students considered 'missing' or 'not contactable.' In response, the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education, and Families has teamed up with the Institute for Educational Leadership's Coalition for Community Schools to identify and advance strategies and tactics that cities, schools, and partners can use to reengage middle- and high-school students who lost contact with their schools due to the pandemic."
National League of Cities
Tasayco, Gislene; Smith, Paul
2020-11?
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ACA Offers Protection as the COVID-19 Pandemic Erodes Employer Health Insurance Coverage
From the Document: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic presents the first major test of how well the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can protect people's health insurance coverage during a recession, as job losses threaten employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI). According to newly available data from the Urban Institute's Coronavirus Tracking Survey, 3.1 million adults lost ESI between March/April and September 2020, but most of them retained some form of insurance with the ACA in place. However, the 'California v. Texas' lawsuit the Supreme Court will hear on November 10, 2020, could put the protections offered by the ACA at risk."
Urban Institute
Karpman, Michael; Zuckerman, Stephen
2020-11
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Office of Refugee Resettlement Ensured That Selected Care Providers Were Prepared to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Document: "On July 1, 2019, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019 (P.L. [Public Law] 116-26) appropriated $2.9 billion for the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) Program. Title IV provided $5 million for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), to conduct oversight of the UAC Program. On January 31, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the Secretary of HHS declared a public health emergency. Following this declaration, Congress appropriated $12 million to HHS-OIG to conduct oversight of HHS's response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Previous HHS-OIG work has focused on the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR's) efforts to ensure the health and safety of children in the UAC Program, including when the UAC Program experiences a sudden change in the number or needs of children. This report builds on our oversight of ORR's efforts to protect children and is one of two reports addressing emergency preparedness at ORR facilities. This report specifically addresses communicable disease preparedness. Our objective was to determine whether ORR ensured that selected care provider facilities (facilities) followed ORR requirements in preparing for and responding to communicable diseases, such as COVID-19."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General
2020-11
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Remote Inspection of Federal Correctional Complexes Oakdale and Pollock
From the Introduction: "The CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has noted that the confined nature of correctional facilities, combined with their congregate environments, 'heighten[s] the potential for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] to spread once introduced' into a facility. According to BOP [Bureau of Prisons] data, as of November 6, 2020, 18,702 inmates and 2,395 BOP staff in BOP-managed institutions and community-based facilities had tested positive for COVID-19. In those institutions where more widespread inmate testing has been undertaken, the percentage of inmates testing positive has been substantial. According to BOP data, as of November 8, 256 Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Oakdale inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 and 8 inmates had died due to the disease. Between May 7 and June 16, the DOJ OIG [Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General] conducted a remote inspection of FCC Oakdale and FCC Pollock to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the complexes and to assess the steps officials took to prepare for, prevent, and manage COVID-19 transmission."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2020-11
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Opioid Treatment Programs Reported Challenges Encountered During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Actions Taken to Address Them
From the Document: "The United States currently faces two nationwide public health emergencies: the opioid crisis and the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the opioid crisis because individuals with an opioid use disorder may be at a higher risk for COVID-19 infection and serious consequences from that disease. In response to the pandemic, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) granted opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and States increased flexibilities to ensure the delivery of OTP services and to protect patients and staff from COVID-19 to the greatest extent possible. To obtain information on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on OTPs, we conducted interviews with 142 OTPs. Our objectives were to identify: (1) challenges that OTPs have encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) actions that OTPs have taken to address those challenges while ensuring the continuity of needed services and protecting the health and safety of their patients and staff."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General
2020-11
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Interim Report II - Review of the Office of Justice Programs' Administration of CARES Act Funding
From the Document: "On March 27, 2020, U.S. Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which provided over $2 trillion in funding intended to strengthen the national response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] global pandemic. Of this amount, approximately $1.007 billion was appropriated to the Department of Justice (DOJ), with $850 million (84 percent of the total) allocated to DOJ's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to award Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) grants for the purposes of preventing, preparing for, and responding to the Coronavirus. The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is reviewing OJP's administration of CARES Act funding. Our preliminary objectives are to: (1) assess OJP's efforts to: distribute Coronavirus award funding in a timely and efficient manner, and (2) review pre-award activities to determine if Coronavirus awards were made in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and other guidelines. On July 9, 2020, the OIG released its first interim report on OJP's administration of CARES Act funding. That report generally covered activity through the CESF solicitation's initial open period (March 30, 2020 through May 29, 2020). This second interim report provides updates related to OJP's award activity and summarizes OIG analysis of recipient drawdowns, expenditures, and program activities. The OIG's oversight in this area remains ongoing."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2020-11
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Remote Inspection of the CORE Services Group, Inc.'s Brooklyn House Residential Reentry Center, Brooklyn, New York
From the Introduction: "On March 23, 2020, the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] issued guidance specific to correctional institutions, noting that the confined nature of correctional facilities, combined with their congregate environments, 'heighten[s] the potential for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] to spread once introduced' into a facility. Although the BOP [Bureau of Prisons] houses the majority of its inmates in prisons, it may also place certain eligible inmates under the supervision of RRCs [Residential Reentry Center]--commonly known as halfway houses--which are contracted to supervise inmates who are generally nearing release and to help prepare them for their transition back into the community. [...] One of these facilities was Brooklyn House RRC, which provides reentry services in Brooklyn, New York, and is operated by CORE Services Group, Inc. (CORE). Brooklyn was one of the areas hit hardest nationally by COVID-19 in March 2020, when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Between May 4 and June 22, the DOJ OIG [Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General] conducted a remote inspection of the Brooklyn House RRC to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected this facility and to assess the steps its management officials took to prepare for, prevent, and manage COVID-19 transmission. We evaluated whether the policies and practices of CORE and Brooklyn House RRC complied with BOP directives intended to control the transmission of COVID-19 within each facility, as well as general guidance publicly available from the CDC."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2020-11
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Remote Inspection of the GEO Group, Inc.'s Toler House Residential Reentry Center, Newark, New Jersey
From the Introduction: "On March 23, 2020, the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] issued guidance specific to correctional institutions, noting that the confined nature of correctional facilities, combined with their congregate environments, 'heighten[s] the potential for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] to spread once introduced' into a facility. Although the BOP [Bureau of Prisons] houses the majority of its inmates in prisons, it may also place certain eligible inmates under the supervision of RRCs [Residential Reentry Center]--commonly known as halfway houses--which are contracted to supervise inmates who are generally nearing release and to help prepare them for their transition back into the community. [...] One RRC facility that provided services to the BOP this year was Toler House RRC, which provided reentry services in Newark, New Jersey. [...] Between May 1 and June 9, the DOJ OIG [Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General] conducted a remote inspection of the Toler House RRC to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected this facility and to assess the steps its management officials took to prepare for, prevent, and manage COVID-19 transmission. Toler House RRC was located in one of the areas hit hardest nationally by COVID-19 in March 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Our inspection evaluated whether the policies and practices of GEO [Group, Inc.] and Toler House RRC complied with BOP directives intended to control the transmission of COVID-19 within each facility, as well as general guidance publicly available from the CDC."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2020-11
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Impact of Digital Infrastructure on the Consequences of COVID-19 and on the Mitigation of Future Effects
From the Abstract: "The appearance and spread of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] have accentuated the connectivity and digitization lag in Latin American and Caribbean countries. The lockdowns imposed to reduce the spread of the virus increased the demand for digital tools that would allow economic, educational, and social activities to continue remotely. Despite the significant increase in the coverage of broadband networks in the region, there are still few activities that can be carried out remotely. This may be due to a lack of connectivity for a significant number of people, or to the difficulty for various actors in accelerating their digital transformation. This paper intends to assist policymakers in determining what measure might best assist countries given their circumstances."
Inter-American Development Bank
Zaballos, Antonio Garcia; Iglesias, Enrique; Cave, Martin . . .
2020-11
