Welcome to the September 2023 Bureau of Justice Assistance Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) training series.
This training will discuss how to add, remove, and revise data in the Performance Measurement Tool, the PMT. This is the final installment in a training series designed to help states comply with DCRA, Public Law 113-242. This training will focus on DCRA data collection and current requirements, including a review on how to use the Performance Measurement Tool, or PMT, to enter decedent data. A link to the slides can be found in the video description below.
SAAs must directly report all decedent records to BJA through the PMT. The BJA PMT is the online system required for Performance Measurement reporting. SAAs report data into the online questionnaire. The DCRA reporting requirement can be found in the Performance Measure Questionnaire. Additional training on reporting in the PMT can be found on BJA's Performance Measurement website.
DCRA data collection is tied to JAG reporting and the PMT. Therefore, the designee that will compile and report DCRA data on behalf of the state must have access to the PMT and be associated with their JAG awards. States will need to establish their own procedures for collecting the required data elements from local and state law enforcement and correctional agencies.
First, you'll be asked if there was at least one reportable death in your state during the reporting period. If you do not have any decedent records, an affirmative "No" response is required. Please note, "Not Applicable" is no longer a valid selection. Click Save and Continue to enter the Decedent Information tab. To upload in bulk, click on the Download Template and enter records into an Excel spreadsheet. When you click on Download Template, the template will automatically be saved to your Downloads folder on your computer as a Microsoft Excel worksheet. If you already have the template and have been populating it throughout the reporting period, you do not need to download it again. Once the template's downloaded, enter decedent information into the PMT Import template for the reporting period. Please make sure to not edit the green headers of the template.
When all decedent information for the reporting period has been entered into the PMT Import template, return to the PMT and navigate back to the Enter Data tab. Select the Choose File button and click on the saved PMT Import template for the reporting period. Click the Upload button to finish uploading the template. Select Save and Continue to navigate to the Review tab.
Ensure all data is completely and accurately entered. Select the "Marked Data Entry as Complete" to save and lock the report. Bulk upload can also be used to delete blank records and correct previously submitted entries.
This slide showcases a sample PMT Import template with decedent information filled out for the reporting period. We request that SAAs do not edit anything in row one, which has been shaded green in the template. The SAA should ensure that all data in the template is in the proper format. Numeric responses must be whole numbers, no decimals or special characters. Narrative responses should be text without line breaks or special symbols. The backlash key for indicating "Not Available" is fine. Make sure to enter data for all required fields before attempting to upload the template. The required data elements in the DCRA module track closely with what is required by law and include demographic information pertaining to name, gender, race, ethnicity, and birth year. In addition to demographic information, location information is required. This includes the date of death, the time of death, and the address of death. Note that entering "00:00" is acceptable when time of death is unknown. Later in the training, we will review how to enter unknown or incomplete information.
The Location Information section includes a question about the facility in which the death occurred. The facility types include municipal or county jails; state prisons; state run bootcamp prisons; any state or local contract facility, for example, a hospital; and any other state or local correctional facility, such as a juvenile facility. If the death did not occur in a facility, such as a death resulting from use of force by law enforcement, please select "None of the Above."
Next, under Agency Name, please provide the exact name of the department or agency that detained, arrested, or was in the process of arresting the decedent. In this field, BJA asked that SAAs do not enter "Department of Corrections," but rather give a facility name. Identifying the exact agency name will allow BJA to better track and manage DCRA reporting.
The final portion of the online questionnaire asks information about the manner of death and a brief description of circumstances leading to the death. Only one Manner of Death may be selected for each decedent record, please pay careful attention to the category that each record is assigned. In addition, provide sufficient details in the Brief Circumstances text entry box.
This section will review how to enter records that have unknown or incomplete information. SAAs may receive records with unknown or incomplete information, or records where the cause of death may remain under investigation for a lengthy period of time. For these reasons, the SAA may choose to delay submitting decedent records to BJA until the next reporting period when more information is known, or when the SAA has had time to review and ensure the completeness of the data. SAA submission delay should not exceed one full quarterly reporting period. This extended time should allow the state to improve the quality of their data collection. The goal is for the SAA to report complete and valid data every quarter. While the goal for SAAs should be to obtain all necessary information related to a decedent record, SAAs may enter "Unknown" for demographic and location information until more information is available. SAAs may enter "9999" or "00:00" for unknown birth year or time of death. However, all efforts should be exhausted to ensure each record that is entered is complete, accurate, and valid.
It is advised that SAAs keep track of all unavailable investigation pending records. However, the Helpdesk can also provide a list of records currently listed as "Unavailable, investigation pending" upon request. Please note records identified as "Unavailable, investigation pending" must include the agency name responsible for the investigation. In addition, while there is no set timeframe for updating records, updates should be made as soon as investigations are completed or when new information is available.
This section will review on how to update previously entered records. There will be times when decedent records need to be updated. For example, if a pending investigation has closed. In these cases, please do not create a new record. Instead, update the existing entry. To do so, it's preferred that records are updated individually through the decedent's record link. Simply click on the decedent's name, update the required information, and hit Save and Continue. The first option for updating records is by manually updating one record at a time. On the Decedent Information tab, select the name of the decedent. On the DCRA report form, update any fields that need to be revised. Click Save and Continue. On the Review page, select Mark Data as Complete and Save.
The second option for updating records is by using the bulk upload Excel file. If records are updated by using the Excel template, the records must match on first name, last name, and date of birth, in order to avoid duplicating in the template. Please ensure this information is consistent when using this method. Otherwise, update records individually. To remove an unneeded decedent record, click the box or boxes next to the decedent link. Click Delete Selected Records. A prompt will ask you if you are okay with deleting the records. If yes, select OK and this will delete those records. On the Review page, select Mark Data as Complete and Save.
Thank you for viewing our training on how to enter, remove, and revise data in the PMT. If you have any questions, please contact the BJA PMT Helpdesk. Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, except federal holidays.
For general questions about DCRA, please contact James Steyee at [email protected]. We also offer no-cost training and technical assistance through our DCRA TTA provider, Justice Information Resource Network.
BJA thanks SAAs for their hard work and dedication to complete and accurate DCRA reporting.
