Prison contraband is items that can pose a risk to the prison environment or threaten the security of the facility. This can include illegal items that can cause harm (e.g., drugs and weapons) or items that are prohibited within the secure area of the facility (e.g., cell phones). This brief reviewed court documents for individuals sentenced for providing or possessing contraband in federal prison between Fiscal Years 2019 and 2023. Researchers examined various aspects of the case, including the type of contraband possessed, how the contraband was smuggled into the facility, where and how the contraband was discovered, and the individual who was sentenced for the offense. Key findings include most common types of contraband were cell phones (47.8%), drugs (34.7%), and weapons (24.9%); contraband was most often found in low- and medium-security Federal Bureau of Prisons’ facilities; weapons were almost always homemade within the prison (97.4%), cell phones were most often smuggled in by correctional officers and other prison employees (38.6%); drugs were most often smuggled in through visitation (38.3%) and the mail (23.3%). Lastly, while surveillance tools (e.g., video surveillance, call monitoring, and body scanners) were important tools for detecting drugs (27.6%) and cell phones (21.4%), over half (53.0%) of weapons were discovered through a physical search of the person’s body.

Surveys find that roughly 5% of youth in the United States ages 12 to 17 – more than a million young people – carry a firearm each year. Despite a significant uptick in gun sales during the pandemic, the share of U.S. youth who carry guns has held steady in recent years. Yet, amid a wave of alarming news coverage about youth violence and a sizeable uptick in gun violence against youth since 2012, youth arrests and court referrals for weapons possession – cases in which carrying a weapon, not brandishing it or using it to commit other crimes, is the most serious charge facing a young person – have been rising sharply since the start of the pandemic. A disproportionate and growing share of these cases involve Black youth, even though the rates at which youth carry guns do not vary widely by race. This study examines the type of youth who carry firearms and why, and the youth justice systems’ punitive treatment of gun possession cases. Researchers found that youth who carry firearms vary widely in their risk of committing gun violence. Many who are not involved in serious delinquency carry firearms for defensive purposes. Researchers also found that a very small group of youth are engaged in serious criminal activity and are at extreme risk for gun violence. The share of gun possession cases resulting in diversion, where alleged misconduct is addressed outside of the formal justice system, has fallen nationally in recent years, while the use of detention has increased. For example, in many state and local justice systems, youth arrested on gun possession charges are being categorically denied opportunities for diversion. In addition, it is common for youth to be transferred to adult court for gun possession charges in many jurisdictions. Researchers provide several recommendations, including investing in state-of-the-art cognitive behavioral interventions for youth at high risk for gun violence and adopting and enforcing common-sense rules to limit young people’s access to firearms.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a government program that provides temporary cash assistance to qualifying low-income individuals. For many participants in TANF, receipt of the cash assistance is contingent on the completion of required activities; frequently, these are work-related activities. Researchers found that many clients who were approved for TANF and assigned to a work activity by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not attend their work activity orientations, and fewer completed their work activities within 13 months. This study aimed to design and test an intervention to increase engagement in work activities among clients who were approved to receive TANF. The intervention included two sets of print materials for staff members to use—Activity Flashcards and a Blueprint Planning Card—alongside the existing, standard materials used in intake sessions. These new materials presented information about work activity options, participation expectations, and additional support services in a client-centered format. Observations and interviews with staff members revealed mixed adoption of the intervention materials, indicating that clients in the intervention group were not consistently exposed to the materials. Intervention staff members typically handed out the materials, but their integration of materials into interactions with clients varied. In addition, evidence collected from these interviews suggests that the standard and intervention groups ultimately experienced similar processes, contrary to the study design. Overall, researchers found that the intervention had no effect on outcomes, such as attendance at a work activity orientation within 30 days of enrollment in TANF, ongoing participation in a work activity, and the number of clients successfully exiting TANF.

Career and technical education (CTE) classes enable students to learn skills and obtain certifications in high-demand industries such as information technology, healthcare, engineering, or manufacturing. Recently, many states have adopted legislation that facilitates easier access to CTE pathways and career exposure in high school. Technology-based advising tools offer a potential solution to staff issues schools face, such as counselors and other school staff members often having high caseloads that can limit the time they can devote to individual students. Technology-based advising tools may enhance school-level advising. As a result, such tools are growing in popularity. Despite their increasing importance and use nationwide, there is little evidence about the efficacy of these tools. This study examined the implementation of two tech advising tools, Xello and YouScience, in ninth- and tenth-grade classrooms during school years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. This study followed five implementing schools where students completed assessments and received their results in the form of guidance on CTE courses and career recommendations. Researchers found that among the five schools, all used the tool with at least some of their students (with significant variation in usage). In schools where school staff members and leaders were committed to implementation and the technology worked well, students tended to have better experiences. In addition, researchers also found that students were exposed to careers they were previously unfamiliar with, and learned about the salaries they could earn and the education required to succeed in those careers through the tools; however, students could not always act on their tool results when picking career-related courses because they were limited by course offerings at their schools and were also influenced by what was socially acceptable in their community or family context.

Older learners are a diverse, driven, and underserved population of current and potential students for U.S. universities. As traditional college-age enrollment declines, institutions have an opportunity to better attract and serve these students who bring valuable life experience, strong motivation, and career-focused goals. This report examines the evolving postsecondary landscape for older adults—whether they're starting college for the first time, returning to complete a degree, or pursuing credentials tied to workforce needs. This report also focuses on shared strengths and challenges that differentiate older learners (those 35 and up) from traditional-age students, areas where older learners tend to face greater barriers, or fall through gaps created by policies designed around traditional-age students, and how institutions can strengthen, broaden and deepen their value to older learners, with examples of innovative programs and initiatives across the country. Researchers found that cost is a significant obstacle for older learners, who face competing professional and personal responsibilities. Researchers also found that older learners must often navigate systems not designed with them in mind. Typically outnumbered by more recent high school graduates, older learners can easily be overlooked by institutional policies and practices. For example, older learners clash with synchronous scheduling and struggle with a lack of access to office hours and student support services such as career guidance, counseling, or financial aid. Researchers provide several recommendations, including lowering cost barriers and expanding flexible learning options, such as online and hybrid formats.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has faced challenges with the service life of steel bridge coatings, which sometimes fall short of the expected durability. This results in increased maintenance costs and the need for more frequent repainting. This project aimed to evaluate the potential benefits of warranty terms included in painting contracts to ensure higher-quality steel coatings, longer maintenance intervals, and cost savings. This project assessed the value of incorporating warranty provisions into bridge painting contracts to improve the performance and durability of steel coatings, investigated current warranty practices for bridge coatings; developed performance measures that can be included in coating warranties; created contract language for a steel protective coating warranty; and designed an implementation plan to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of warranties for steel bridge coatings. Researchers found that warranty contracts for bridge coatings can incentivize higher-quality work and extend maintenance intervals, leading to cost savings for FDOT. In addition, performance measures for coatings, including corrosion, color consistency, and delamination, can be effectively used in warranty language. Implementing a warranty system with clear specifications will improve contractor accountability and reduce the frequency of repainting. The proposed implementation plan, which includes pilot projects and ongoing coating condition monitoring, will help FDOT assess the long-term benefits and refine the warranty provisions. By adopting warranties, FDOT can enhance the durability and performance of steel bridge coatings, ultimately reducing maintenance costs and improving the service life of bridge coatings in Florida.

Since 1991, the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) has provided funding to states through a statutory formula; this funding is for transportation projects that aim to reduce congestion and improve air quality. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that during Fiscal Years 2015 through 2023, states spent between $900 million and $1.9 billion annually to start about 700 to 1,200 new CMAQ projects. About 80% of projects were for transit improvement, traffic flow improvement, and bicycle and pedestrian projects. In 2020, the DOT published tables to assist states in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of 21 types of CMAQ projects. The GAO found that 88% of projects, and 82% of its costs, were in project types rated by DOT as having mixed or weak cost-effectiveness in reducing emissions. The GAO found that about one-third of states that responded to its survey reported being unaware of the cost-effectiveness tables published by DOT. The GAO also found that DOT has not tracked data on the use of these tools by states. The GAO recommends that DOT provide ongoing and formal communications about its CMAQ cost-effectiveness tables. Ongoing communication from DOT about the tables could increase states' awareness and, ultimately, contribute to states selecting CMAQ projects that are more cost-effective in reducing emissions of pollutants.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, provides food benefits to low-income families so they can afford to purchase more nutritious food in retail stores. Despite the benefits of SNAP for reducing poverty and food insecurity, many eligible participants do not participate. Changes in SNAP at the beginning of the pandemic had immediate effects on existing participants but also provided incentives for new participants to join. Known barriers to participating in SNAP were lifted during the pandemic, including simplifying enrollment and changing how allotment amounts are calculated. Researchers explore the characteristics of households with children that joined SNAP after substantial changes were made to the program in the early stages of the pandemic and how it affected their food purchases. Researchers used household-based scanner data for 2019 and 2020 to assess demographic characteristics and food purchase expenditures by participation status. Researchers found that program changes during the pandemic were successful in increasing enrollment for households with children and increasing food and beverage expenditures. Further, researchers found that a large number of households with children joined SNAP in the early stages of the pandemic due to changes in the program or in financial circumstances. For existing and new SNAP households with children, expenditures on foods and beverages increased substantially, which could have been due to the shift from foods purchased in restaurants and at other food-service venues to foods purchased at retail stores. However, a portion of the increase can likely be attributed to the increase in SNAP benefits and the receipt of pandemic electronic benefit transfer (P-EBT) payments to replace school meals. Many households with children that appeared to be eligible based on their incomes did not participate even with the program changes, suggesting that barriers remain. Additional research is needed to determine the best ways to enroll some of the most at-risk types of households with children and encourage the use of benefits to purchase healthier foods to increase both food and nutrition security.

Infectious diseases with pandemic potential—such as avian influenza—pose a threat to American lives, national security, and economic interests. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leads federal diagnostic testing efforts related to such diseases. It must work with public and private stakeholders who, among other things, administer tests and collect data. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, HHS faced several challenges in developing accurate tests quickly, deploying tests, developing clear guidance for test use, and collecting complete testing data. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) placed HHS's leadership and coordination of public health emergencies on its High-Risk List in January 2022, in part, due to HHS's handling of COVID-19 testing. Federal law requires the GAO to monitor and report on the federal pandemic response. This report identifies actions suggested by experts for HHS to improve diagnostic testing for infectious diseases with pandemic potential, and steps HHS has taken related to these actions. These actions include developing a national diagnostic testing strategy for infectious diseases with pandemic potential; periodically updating the national diagnostic testing strategy to incorporate any future lessons learned from infectious disease threats with pandemic potential, other public health threats as deemed relevant, or any related preparedness exercises; establishing a national diagnostic testing forum for infectious diseases with pandemic potential, or expanding an existing group; and ensure the national diagnostic testing forum meets regularly, including both before and during infectious disease threats with pandemic potential, other public health threats as deemed relevant, or any related preparedness exercises.

The 21st Century Cures Act expanded Medicare Advantage (MA) to include persons with kidney failure. Little is known about the impact of increased MA marketing on persons with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In this qualitative study of interviews with 48 participants from MA plans, kidney care management companies, and dialysis organizations, MA marketing was reported to offer insurance coverage and supplementary benefits that were often inadequate for the complex medical needs of persons with ESKD. Researchers found that organizations used various outreach approaches to inform persons with kidney failure of their expanded insurance options. Participants recognized that personal choice without undue influence is paramount when older or chronically ill adults are selecting their insurance coverage. Second, MA has potential benefits for persons with ESKD, and organizations expanded partnerships with brokers and/or agencies to provide additional insurance-related resources. Third, the mass marketing approach used to advertise MA was ubiquitous and often reported as deceptive for older or chronically ill adults. Kidney health care professionals noted that constraints on eligibility, restricted health care networks, and limited benefits and services were frequently inadequate for the complex social and medical needs of their patient population. Findings show that MA marketing to increase enrollment is pervasive and intensifies during open enrollment.

The District of Columbia’s child care subsidy program provides vouchers to families with low and moderate incomes or with other special circumstances so they can affordably access high-quality education and care, and supports child care providers in improving the quality of early care and education they offer. Recent innovations in child care subsidy policies include allowing working families with low incomes to access subsidies, reducing family copayments, increasing the subsidy payments to providers based on cost of quality of care thereby stabilizing the supply of child care, and offering coaching and support to child care providers to improve quality of care and business practices. This study documents participants’ perceptions of the outcomes of these innovations in D.C. The testimony recommends sustaining the funding for the program to support D.C’s working families and their children, as well as child care providers who reported that the program is needed to stabilize the supply of child care in the city. Study participants, along with the research team's independent analysis of child care administrative data, indicate that the child care subsidy program has rebounded since the pandemic. Study participants report that the program is needed to support parents’ workforce participation, children’s growth and development, and the supply of child care available throughout D.C. The research team recommend the District of Columbia City Council maintain the current child care subsidy budget along with funding for other programs and tax credits designed to support families with young children, and continue to evaluate the effectiveness of child care subsidy policies and practices to improve the subsidy program to best meet the needs of families in D.C. and document outcomes.