< Previous50 PERSPECTIVES VOLUME 44, NUMBER 4 THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS incremental responses to noncompliance while reserving formal violations for the most serious behaviors (Burke, 1997; Taxman, Soule, & Gelb, 1999). Examples of incremental responses include those aligned with a rehabilitation goal (e.g., drug court, treatment) or punitive goals (e.g., increased reporting requirements, electronic monitoring, increased drug testing) (Burke, 1997). However, the pandemic presents challenges to many of these options due to limited resources (e.g., limited availability of treatment, inability to drug test). This suggests the need for creativity in developing alternatives to violations and for individual agencies to identify feasible alternatives in their jurisdiction. The inability to administer drug tests to individuals on supervision was also reported as a major challenge during the pandemic. Directors reported significant concern that individuals were likely relapsing and/or using substances at an increased rate. Additionally, directors reported concerns over the safety of conducting drug tests during the pandemic. Some had switched to mouth swabs for drug testing, the use of patch testing for alcohol use, or had added a window to their bathrooms so officers could supervise drug tests from a different room. The challenge of ensuring safe drug testing presents a direct need for community supervision agencies to partner with public health experts, as drug testing does involve risks that are directly relevant in the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, research on COVID-19 finds that viral RNA may be present in urine, although little evidence suggests this viral RNA is infectious (Nomoto et al., 2020). However, infectious viral RNA is known to be found in saliva (To et al., 2020), which suggests the use of mouth swabs may be riskier than traditional urine screens. Officer supervision of a urine screen in an enclosed space without proper ventilation (e.g., a bathroom) is also risky for COVID-19 transmission (Morawska et al., 2020). With either strategy, appropriate PPE would be required to reduce risk of transmission, which requires acquisition of resources that have been difficult across the country. Safer alternatives may include a bathroom window observation of drug screens or perhaps, when proper PPE is available, the use of curbside mouth swab testing. However, creating alternatives to procedures such as drug testing requires careful consideration of the medical and infectious disease research on COVID-19 and should be done in consultation with experts to best protect the safety of staff and clients. Continued shut-downs, lack of resources/staff, and backlogs in labs are likely to persist, which will require the development of protocols that are safe and feasible for community supervision agencies to implement. Lastly, financial and budgetary concerns are likely to challenge community supervision agencies for the foreseeable future. While many directors reported current budget crises already, others reported the expectation of financial crises to come. With the inability to collect supervision fees and reduction in the numbers of individuals on supervision, directors have had to lay off staff or anticipate doing so in the future. This is particularly troubling, as budget strain may be present for years to come even though a reduction in caseloads is not expected to last indefinitely. The next steps of this study include two additional waves of data collection to examine how responses to COVID-19 and the 51 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS challenges presented to community supervision agencies are changing over the course of the pandemic. Immediate work is needed to support directors and probation staff in addressing noncompliance using alternatives to violations and jail-based sanctions, the monitoring and detection of substance use, and to develop and advance technologies to support supervision efforts during the ongoing pandemic and beyond. This ongoing project sets a foundation for additional inquiry in understanding how agencies response to COVID-19 will shape the future of community corrections. Acknowledgements : This study was funded by National Science Foundation Grant 2030344. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the community corrections agency staff who have shared their experiences during an extraordinarily difficult time. Bios Jill Viglione is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. She is co-author of “Misalignment in Supervision: Implementing Risk/Needs Assessment Instruments in Probation,” published in Criminal Justice and Behavior. She can be reached Lucas Alward is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. He is co-author of “Assessing the Relative Influence of Individual Attitudes, Social Supports, and Neighborhood Context on Reentry Outcomes: What Changes Matter Most?” published in Criminal Justice and Behavior. Ashley Lockwood is a doctoral student in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. She is co-author of “Stigma of Mental Illness: An Exploration of Rural Law Enforcement Attitudes Toward Mental Health in the Heartland,” published in Journal of Police and Criminology Psychology . References Ahmed, F., Ahmed, N., Pissarides, C., & Stiglitz, J. (2020). Why inequality could spread COVID-19. The Lancet, 5 (12), E240. doi: Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2010). Rehabilitating criminal justice policy and practice. Psychology, Public Policy and Law , 16(1), 39-55 . Burke, P. (1997). Policy-driven responses to probation and parole violations . Washington, DC: National Institute of Corrections Clark, C. B., McCullumsmith, C. B., Waesche, M. C., Islam, M. A., Francis, R., & Cropsey, K. L. (2013). HIV-risk characteristics in community corrections. Journal of Addiction Medicine , 7 (1), 45-51. Retrieved from Dong, E., Du, H., & Gardner, L. (2020). An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time. Lancet Infectious Diseases , 20 (5), 533-534. Executives Transforming Probation and Parole [EXiT]. (2020, Mar. 12). Statement from community supervision executives on the importance of using best practices during the COVID-19 Fearn, N. E., Vaughn, M. G., Nelson, E. J., Salas-Wright, C. P., DeLisi, M., & Qian, Z. (2016). Trends and correlates of substance use disorders among probationers and parolees in the United States 2002–2014. Drug 52 PERSPECTIVES VOLUME 44, NUMBER 4 THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS and Alcohol Dependence , 167, 128-139. doi: James, D. J., & Glaze, L. E. (2006). Mental health problems of prison and jail inmates . Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. Morawska, L., Tang, J. W., Bahnfleth, W., Bluyssen, P. M., Boerstra, A., Buonanno, G., ... & Wierzbicka, A. (2020). How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised? Environment International, Nomoto, H., Ishikane, M., Katagiri, D., Kinoshita, N., Nagashima, M., Sadamasu, K., ... & Ohmagari, N. (2020). Cautious handling of urine from moderate to severe COVID-19 patients. American Journal of Infection Control Snow, J., & Mann, M. (2013). Qualtrics survey software: Handbook for research professionals . Qualtrics Labs, Inc. Taxman, F. S., Soule, D., & Gelb, A. (1999). Graduated sanctions: Stepping into accountable systems and offenders. The Prison Journal , 79, 182–204. To, K. K. W., Tsang, O. T. Y., Leung, W. S., Tam, A. R., Wu, T. C., Lung, D. C., ... & Lau, D. P. L. (2020). Temporal profiles of viral load in posterior oropharyngeal saliva samples and serum antibody responses during infection by SARS-CoV-2: an observational cohort study. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 20( 5). Vaughn, M. G., DeLisi, M., Beaver, K. M., Perron, B. E., & Abdon, A. (2012). Toward a criminal justice epidemiology: Behavioral and physical health of probationers and parolees in the United States. Journal of Criminal Justice , 40(3), 165-173. Retrieved from Vera Institute of Justice (2020). Guidance for preventative and responsive measures to coronavirus for parole, probation, and clemency. Vera Institute of Viglione, J., Alward, L. M., Lockwood, A., & Bryson, S. (2020). Adaptations to COVID-19 in community corrections agencies across the United States. Victims & Offenders, Endnotes 1. See the following websites for some CDC- informed screening gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/ appendix-1-hcw-risk-assessment-tool.pdf ; coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/hcp/ flowchart-risk-assessment.pdf 2. The states represented in the sample are as follows: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia 54 PERSPECTIVES VOLUME 44, NUMBER 4 A JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER’S EXPERIENCE WITH THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC The following is an interview between Dr. Kimberly Kras (KK), co-editor of Perspectives, and Alicia Hitt (AH) regarding her experience as a community corrections practitioner during the coronavirus pandemic. Ms. Hitt is a Field Supervision Officer for the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas. She also serves as a School- Based Probation Officer for Westside High School in the community. Her purpose is to improve probationers’ attendance and academic performance, reduce school code of conduct infractions, and improve student support. She is currently a doctoral student at Texas Southern University in Administration of Justice and Education. She has a master’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in juvenile justice and restorative justice from Toledo University.55 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS KK: Since the pandemic has started, what is the greatest change that you’ve experienced related to your supervision practices? AH: The greatest change is not having physical contact with the youth I am supervising. Before COVID-19, I spent a lot of time engaged with them because I am a school-based officer. I supervise those who attend Westside High School and the two middle schools that feed into the high school. I have an office at Westside High School. I report there four days a week, so I’ve been seeing my youth daily in passing, and in scheduled and unscheduled office visits. I’ve assisted with everything from probation to school issues, so I had a lot of interaction. School going virtual was very drastic and difficult to navigate. I had to figure out how to advocate and support my youth at their educational institutions from a distance. It got a little chaotic at times but, in the end, I believe I can truthfully say I was successful. KK: What does it look like now, since you can’t be in physical contact with them? AH: Last week Houston Independent School District started face-to-face instruction, so I started back reporting to the school four days a week. Students have the option of remaining virtual or receiving face-to-face instruction. Many of the youth on my caseload and the student body as a whole have chosen to remain virtual learners. The school has a population of about 5,000 students. However, only about 450 of them decided to return, so it’s like a ghost town. Nevertheless, starting to work again in person has allowed me to engage directly with the deans, counselors, social workers and wraparound specialists, and get back to addressing my youth’s needs in a familiar environment versus over the phone and Zoom. KK: What are remaining concerns for your clients? AH: My remaining concerns are how to prevent my clients from getting left behind academically and having their essential needs going unmet. Virtual learning takes a lot of discipline and support, and, unfortunately, a lot of my youth don’t have either of those. The majority of my clients are trying to navigate this virtual educational platform independently, and that’s a huge concern for me with so many of them having 504 plans or special educational needs. I’m really concerned that they will get behind, become frustrated and discouraged, and give up. I also have concerns regarding whether or not my youth are receiving regular meals or if they’re in a safe environment. So, in an effort to bridge the gap, I have weekly check-ins with all of my clients to see if they need any assistance. Even with me making myself available, it is still challenging to provide tutoring services and academic accommodations while also scheduling meal delivery and pick up for those who are learning from home. All in all, my clients being virtual learners is definitely a huge concern. KK: It sounds like a lot of your focus now has shifted--maybe is shifting away from your prior duties to really encompassing a lot of educational engagement and attainment. AH: It really has. Shifting the focus towards education and academic achievement has improved my youth’s compliance with their rules of supervision. Most of my youth are involved in school extracurricular activities. As they become more involved in clubs and organizations, their self-esteem and confidence has improved, and they are starting to gain a sense of purpose and direction for their lives. That also means my youth have less idle time, and as a result they are not getting into trouble and their peer association groups have improved. During the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, I was very proactive in making sure that my youth completed 56 PERSPECTIVES VOLUME 44, NUMBER 4 THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS their court-ordered requirements so that they could really just focus on school once it started. I understood that this was going to be a non- traditional school year full of unique challenges and that my youth did not need any additional distractions. KK: How did they respond to you engaging them in their community service and other court-ordered applications? AH: Initially, they were like, “Oh man, we really still have to do this?” However, once they got into their virtual service-learning, therapy, and decision-making sessions, they expressed that they’d rather complete their services virtually than face-to-face. I would deliver service- learning material to my youth at their homes via “curbside delivery,” and they knew that they were required to log on and participate in every scheduled session to receive credit. I would also log in during service-learning sessions and decision-making workshops to check for attendance. Honestly, I never had an issue with participation, because the youth came to love the flexibility of being able to complete their court-ordered services virtually. Many told me that in the past their lack of involvement and engagement in court-ordered programming was because they did not have transportation or parental support. The youth would be left with the challenge and responsibility of getting themselves to programs, and it was just not feasible. They would be sanctioned for not fulfilling court-ordered requirements and never get needed services. However, with virtual services, the youth are able to use their phones or school-issued laptops to participate, making it much easier to stay in compliance. KK: It sounds like they’re experiencing more success than they would have otherwise. A: Yes, they are. I have successfully terminated many youths since March, some of whom I have had for years. All of them have expressed a level of relief, excitement, and sense of accomplishment that they are finally off probation. It is such a joy to see. KK: What a bright spot in this pandemic world. So, what are the lingering issues for staff? AH: The lingering issues for staff are the reduction in the size of their caseload and the need to remain productive with their extra time. So many of our youth have successfully terminated since the start of COVID-19 that our caseload numbers have dropped drastically. Previously our caseload average was between 15 and 20 cases. and now our average is seven. The challenge for staff is simply trying to remain productive. In some cases, officers have indicated that they do not have enough to do. I don’t have that issue. Nevertheless, our department has incorporated a full and half day of office duty once a week to assist officers in remaining productive. Officers have also been asked to volunteer in the department or the community or organize a virtual group activity with their youth once a week. I host a weekly roundtable with my youth. We select a topic, create a PowerPoint, and have a discussion on Zoom. KK: How did you come up with that idea? AH: A couple of officers in my unit were doing town hall meetings prior to COVID-19 as a means of helping youth complete their community service hours. I took what they were doing and revamped it to work for my demographic. I decided that I would ask the youth what topics they would like to explore or what topics were trending amongst their peers. The youth responded with topics 57 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS such as voting, COVID-19, racial injustice, and employment opportunities for youth. The roundtables have been very successful, and my youth are present every week. The majority of those on my caseload are 17 years old, and they are very interested in voting issues such as voter eligibility, how to register to vote, and understanding the Electoral College. We extensively talk about COVID-19 and the effect it is having on their lives. We talk about employment, job opportunities, college and trade schools, resume building and preparing for the workforce. We talk about racial disparities in this country, race riots, how interacting with the police makes them feel, and preparing for life beyond probation. KK: With all of the negatives in how we’ve had to change the way we do business, what is a change that you feel has turned out to be beneficial that you would have never tried or would have never had to do or confront without the pandemic? AH: The change that has proven to be the most beneficial is working from home. In this line of work, working from home was unheard of. Probation officers lived by the school of thought that field officers can only be successful if they are in the field and immersed in the community. However, with COVID-19, as a department we had to step out of our comfort zone and take a new approach. I love my department’s openness to change and how flexible and supportive they have been throughout this transition. I thank them for trusting us with such a huge responsibility, letting us do our jobs and not micromanaging. I appreciate them for supplying us with the new equipment and remote access we need to be successful working from home. It shows that they have a clear direction for the department and that they recognize our current practices may become a permanent staple in how we function as an organization. KK: Is there a practice or policy change that you think is going to be here to stay? AH: I think that working from home, conducting curbside home visits, and offering virtual services are here to stay. I honestly do not think we will be returning to the office, well at least not in the capacity that we knew. I think we will continue to work remotely, only reporting to the office when necessary. I also think that we will continue to conduct curbside home visits. We started conducting curbside home visits in May. Curbside visits do not require officers to enter the home. Instead we drive up in our vehicle, the youth comes outside, and we have a brief conversation. I think that this practice, along with offering virtual services, will continue because of how compliant and receptive families have been. KK: Is there anything else that you feel the field would benefit from knowing about your experience? AH: Be open minded, be flexible, and be adaptable. Know that you are not the only one going through this. It is not just your department. We are all experiencing some version of the same thing, and we will get through this. Take care of yourself. We have to make time for self- care, because this job itself can weigh on your heart, spirit, and mind. Before COVID-19, we could leave work at work. Now we have literally taken work home, so it is extremely important to create a healthy mental space where you can debrief and decompress.COVID-19 AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS: STABILITY AND CHANGE IN SUPERVISION PRACTICES BY: DEBORAH KOETZLE, PH.D. AND CRAIG S. J. SCHWALBE, PH.D.59 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in early 2020 disrupted nearly all aspects of life in the United States, as stay-at-home orders were issued, and individuals were advised to practice social distancing. As a result of these early public health efforts, many businesses and agencies closed, and there was a shift towards working from home in an effort to limit spread of the novel coronavirus. The criminal justice system was not immune to these changes. Police were advised to reduce arrests in an effort to prevent jail overcrowding; courts were closed or began operating at reduced capacity; and low-risk and vulnerable individuals were released from incarceration because of the infectious nature of the virus and the need for social distancing (Buchanan, Castro, Kushner, & Krohn 2020; Jennings & Perez, 2020; Marcum, 2020). As of October 20, 2020, there were over 8 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 200,000 deaths in the United States (Dong, Du, & Gardner, 2020), and it appears that at least some social distancing restrictions will remain in place for a long time to come. Though much has been written about the impact of COVID-19 on secure correctional facilities, relatively little is known about the impact on probation and parole practices and on individuals being supervised in the community. Yet, with nearly 4.5 million people under some form of community supervision (Maruschak & Minton, 2020), an exploration of probation and parole practices in the current context can provide guidance to community supervision agencies moving forward. In the current study, we examine the impact of COVID-19 on community supervision officers and their clients and how supervision practices changed in the early days of the pandemic. Using a national survey of probation and parole officers, we specifically examined differences in perceptions of client compliance, supervision contacts, and the types of supervision strategies employed by officers. Methods Invitations to participate in the survey were sent to probation and parole officers via the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute (UCCI) list- serve. Two emails were sent to each email list, and three invitations were sent to APPA members via APPA Connect, an in-house social networking platform. Participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymous and was incentivized through a drawing for gift cards. The sample consists of 1,054 probation officers and parole officers who were supervising a caseload of people under community supervision orders at the time of the survey. Respondents were asked questions about their education and experience, their caseload, and personal COVID-19 impacts. Next, they were asked to select an index case from among individuals who had been on their caseload for at least three months before COVID-19, using a semi-random process (for details see Schwalbe & Koetzle, 2020). Because a random selection process was used, index cases are thought to be representative of caseloads. Respondents were asked to report on the index case characteristics, client COVID-19 impacts, client compliance, and supervision practices. Client compliance was measured along three dimensions: percent compliant with reporting requirements, percent confidence that the client was truthful and forthcoming, and percent confident that the client was abiding by supervision conditions. Next >