Reports

This informational brief describes changes to the Department of Children and Family Services’ (DCFS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including how COVID-19 impacted participation, benefit amounts, and program administration. This brief is intended to provide timely information related to an area of interest to the legislature or based on a legislative request. Among other findings, this brief highlights that the number of SNAP recipients increased 27.5%, from 769,768 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020 to a high of 981,751 in January 2021. According to DCFS, the increase...

The purpose of this audit was to provide information on the Department of Public Safety and Corrections’ (DOC) response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the correctional facilities it oversees. Overall, DOC faced multiple issues and challenges in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. DOC protocols complied with CDC guidance in the areas of testing, medical isolation, screening, visitation, personal protective equipment, social distancing, and transfers. However, it did not have processes to verify that correctional facilities implemented these protocols.

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...

The purpose of this audit was to provide information on Louisiana’s response to COVID-19 in nursing facilities. We found that nursing facilities in Louisiana faced staffing challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic because of staff exposure to COVID-19, illness, or the need to care for family members.