Reducing the Use of Segregation

The entire Vera/Louisiana team had their second site visit with LADOC. We had a facility meeting and tour at David Wade Correctional Center (DWCC) one day and returned another day to conduct focus groups. Then we held focus groups in the other two facilities (Elayne Hunt Correctional Center and Louisiana State Penitentiary). All focus groups were with incarcerated people, mental health staff, line staff, and unit managers. The information gleaned from this trip will be included in the first interim report and will inform the team's final recommendations to LADOC.

The entire Vera/Louisiana team had their second site visit with LADOC. We had a facility meeting and tour at David Wade Correctional Center (DWCC) one day and returned another day to conduct focus groups. Then we held focus groups in the other two facilities (Elayne Hunt Correctional Center and Louisiana State Penitentiary). All focus groups were with incarcerated people, mental health staff, line staff, and unit managers. The information gleaned from this trip will be included in the first interim report and will inform the team's final recommendations to LADOC.

In June, Vera conducted phone calls with site coordinator Joe Etter to discuss implementation challenges and strategies for resolving challenges, progress updates, and priority areas for implementation.

Vera conducted phone calls with site coordinator Joe Etter to discuss implementation challenges and strategies for resolving challenges, progress updates, and priority areas for implementation.

Vera went on the first site visit to meet with Minnesota DOC (MDOC) leadership and tour two facilities (Oak Park Heights and Stillwater). The purpose of the site visit was to learn about the use of segregation in MDOC facilities, current reform efforts in MN, challenges and opportunities to reforming segregation, and meet the members of the Restrictive Housing Reduction and Reform Committee.

In May, Vera conducted the first implementation site visit with North Carolina DPS. Vera had meetings with DPS leadership at headquarters in Raleigh, visited Central Prison (in particular to see and speak with staff about the Therapeutic Diversion Unit there), visited Marion Correctional Institution (in particular to see and speak with staff about the Rehabilitative Diversion Unit program there), and visited Foothills Correctional Institution (in particular to see and speak with staff about the Youthful Offender Program).

In June, Vera provided implementation TTA to Nebraska DOC via our final site visit to NE. Vera toured and talked with staff at Nebraska State Penitentiary and Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, provided guidance on their reforms efforts, met with the multi-disciplinary review team to discuss successes over the past year, challenges, and next steps moving forward to make improvements, met with Director Scott Frakes and other members of leadership to discuss progress with implementation, identify priorities to move forward, and quality assurance and outcome measures tracking.

Vera provided TTA to the Louisiana DOC (LADOC) in the following ways:

Vera received and responded to ODOC's first submission of data related to use of segregation and Vera spoke with the site coordinator, former executive sponsor, and new executive sponsor of the project to discuss implementation plans and to provide suggestions for maintaining momentum, communicating with staff, and engaging in culture change work.

Vera provided TTA to the Minnesota DOC (MDOC) in the following ways: