During the last three years, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has made improvements in its Juvenile Program. The Juvenile Program staff developed a detailed Juvenile Protocol Manual that defines the policies, procedures, and responsibilities that INS officers are expected to follow with juveniles, from initial encounter through release or removal. The INS has provided training on the provisions of the Flores agreement to over 15,000 INS employees since 1997 and also made it part of the law enforcement academy training received by INS officers. The number of juvenile shelter bed spaces has increased from 131 in FY 1997 to over 400 in FY 2000. To meet the Flores requirement for data reporting, the INS developed the Juvenile Alien Management System (JAMS), enabling improved tracking and reporting on juveniles in its custody. All of the facilities we visited had programs in place to meet the Flores requirements for providing education, medical services, recreation, and social orientation programs in addition to providing the necessary food and shelter. The Juvenile Program has also submitted its required reporting to the court and the plaintiffs for three years and has not received notification from the court or the plaintiffs that INS is substantially out of compliance with the Flores agreement. Although the INS has made significant progress since signing the Flores agreement, our review found that deficiencies in the handling of juveniles continue to exist in some INS districts, Border Patrol sectors, and headquarters that could have potentially serious consequences for the well-being of the juveniles.
