Although not intended as mandates, the guidelines in this report by the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) are intended to assist juvenile detention and correctional facilities in protecting the mental and physical health of youth in their custody during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These guidelines for juvenile corrections facilities consider pandemic-related recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the National Institute of Corrections, the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators, the National Partnership for Juvenile Services, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, and Performance-based Standards. These recommendations are intended to assist designated state agencies (DSAs) responsible for managing their Title II Formula Grants Program awards authorized under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. Major sections of these guidelines address Title II Formula Grants Program compliance monitoring; COVID-19 health and safety risk mitigation; reentry and community-based services; punitive isolation compared to medical isolation; personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccinations, and testing; programming and education; and visitation and access to legal counsel.