Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Secure Care Facilities

The purpose of this audit was to provide information on the Office of Juvenile Justice’s (OJJ) response to the COVID-19 pandemic in its secure care facilities. Overall, OJJ faced multiple issues and challenges in addressing the pandemic. We found the agency’s protocols generally complied with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for medical isolation, screening, visitation, personal protective equipment, and social distancing. However, agency officials were unable to verify whether the facilities consistently followed the protocols because of the suspension of onsite visits and quality assurance audits between March and September 2020.