Technical Assistance # 13C1044 Orange County, Florida July 31 August 01, 2013 Prepared by: Gary E. Christensen, Ph.D. President Corrections Partners, Inc.
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3 Table of Contents Technical Assistance Request - NIC Overview 4 Pre-visit Planning, Discussion, and Analyses 5 Orange County Stakeholders Interviewed and/or in Attendance 11 Onsite Agenda/Interview Schedule 12 Orange County Community Corrections Offender Trends by Unit - Information Obtained Onsite via Interview 13 Individual Interviews on site July 31-August 1, 2013 Policy-Level, System Stakeholders 21 Observations, Recommendations, and Summary 23 Appendix A Sample QA CCD Audit Schedule Appendix B Proxy Implementation Documents Appendix C - Power Point Onsite Facilitation/Planning Slides Appendix D National Perspective Reentry and Jail Transition - The Transition from Jail to the Community Model
4 REQUEST FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NIC OVERVIEW Technical Assistance Report Technical Assistance (TA) # 13C1044 Gary E. Christensen, Ph. D. On behalf of Chief Michael A. Tidwell, Dr. Cindy Boyles of the Orange County Community Corrections Division (CCD), submitted a written request for technical assistance to the Community Services Division of the National Institute of Corrections. This request was confirmed by Chief Jim Cosby of the NIC Community Services Division in April 2013. Subsequent to the approval of this request, through a series of discussions with Dr. Boyles, Juanita Beason, and Robbye Braxton-Mintz (NIC Correctional Program Specialist - Community Services Division), the undersigned agreed to provide technical assistance for the CCD in Orlando, Florida on July 31 and August 1, 2013. This technical assistance was designed to evaluate the practices of the CCD in the context of known best practices or evidence based policy and practice (EBP). The current technical assistance included pre-visit interviews and review of supplied documents, policies, and data followed by pre-visit electronic exchange of information and questions designed to facilitate discussion onsite. The entirety of this pre-visit exchange was intended to accommodate jurisdiction specific dialogue in the context of EBP and result in an onsite agenda that facilitated meaningful evaluation of current CCD practices and further informed discussion relative to possible implementation of evidence-based policy and practice.
5 Pre-visit Planning, Discussion, and Analyses Subsequent to the approval of this project, a series of telephone calls and emails were exchanged between Dr. Christensen, Dr. Boyles, and Juanita Beason to coordinate and plan on-site technical assistance and gain a common understanding of its purpose, proposed consultation strategies, and intended outcomes. To assist the undersigned to understand and analyze the CCD, the following information was provided by Dr. Boyles previous to the site visit. This information was reviewed in its entirety and provided the basis for pre-visit site planning, analysis, and preparation. It is also important to note that this technical assistance was prompted, at least in part, by a murder allegedly committed by an Orange County defendant while assigned to the CCD Home Confinement Unit on electronic monitoring. As with any local criminal justice outcome, there are many factors and criminal justice system stakeholders both within and outside of the CCD who contributed to this horrible outcome; however, comprehensive analysis of this incident is beyond the scope of this technical assistance.
6 Pertinent to this technical assistance however, is the fact that as a result of this incident the CCD Home Confinement Program was suspended initially by the Mayor s Office. Despite the obvious implications and liabilities related to the aforementioned incident, to its credit, the CCD has chosen to use this incident as impetus for an overarching review of its procedures. It also must be noted that, prior to the incident cited above, changes had begun to enhance quality assurance and consistency of practice throughout the CCD (Sample QA CCD Audit Schedule included in Appendix A). Subsequent to review of all of the information provided by the CCD, yet still prior to the site-visit, the undersigned shared with CCD leaders (identified by Dr. Boyles) information inclusive of the tenets of evidence-based policy and practice, system decision making, and best practice offender transition and reentry strategies. This information was intended to give foundation for possible actions and system changes; while insuring jurisdiction-specific understanding of current practices within the CCD. To further facilitate the best possible use of face-to-face, onsite visit time, the undersigned developed pre-visit questions specific to each of the CCD units to begin virtual dialogue with the leadership of each of the units. The questions and responses of each of the units are provided below. Additional discussion, still prior to the site visit, built on CCD leadership responses to offer context for the proposed site visit agenda utilizing foundational EBP materials.
7 CIU Responses There isn t exchange of information with the jail facility or other provider, agency, etc. regarding transition/reentry issues, risk factors, criminogenic need, etc. as only a handful of offenders are released directly from jail to begin their CCD Supervision. Risk to reoffend does not play any part in the first report or assignment to the Central Intake. Central Intake does, however, use this information to make the Supervising Officer assignment. Risk to reoffend may play a part in the judge s decision to sentence someone to CCD supervision. Once a client reaches Intake, we complete a risk assessment to determine likelihood of recidivism, and use this and other information (juvenile, mental health, etc.), to make the appropriate Probation Officer assignment. Probation conditions are set by the court, which may take criminogenic risk/need into account. Probation officers can make other referrals to deal with other issues as they see fit.
8 Is risk/need measured for these populations? Do program assignments or case assignments/plans reflect measured risk/need? What effect does this placement have on rearrest, reincarceration, or violations? PTD Responses Currently we use the ORAS to measure Risk and Needs for DUI s only. Misdemeanors are not assessed. Program assignments are not based on risk/needs nearly everyone in PTD is minimum risk. Program assignments are based on the type of charge/conditions the client must complete. I don t think we have statistics to evaluate the effect placement has on rearrest, reincarceration, or violations, for any unit. How would you separate out the effect of the placement from the effects of the initial situation that cased the client to score in a particular category in the first place maybe historical data?
9 How often are presentence investigations completed and do they all include a validated assessment of criminogenic risk/need? How often is success/compliance measured? Are reassessments of criminogenic need conducted? Does risk to reoffend play any part in reporting frequency? Caseloads? Is there a Quality Assurance process in place designed to insure that individual case plans are targeted to reflect and mitigate measured high risk criminogenic need? Are conditions of supervision designed to reflect or affect measured criminogenic risk/need? Misdemeanor Probation Responses - The courts in our jurisdiction do not order PSIs on misdemeanant cases; however a policy and procedure is in place should they want to order them - We keep monthly statistics that show our successful/unsuccessful closures and it also calculates a success rate. - Reassessments are completed for clients who will be on our supervision for more than a year. We ve just recently transitioned to using the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) instrument in February 2013, so we haven t started doing reassessments yet. Prior to the implementation of ORAS, we were using the Wisconsin risk/needs assessments and we completed risk re-assessments at the 6 month mark. - The score on the risk assessment determines the supervision level, the caseload assignment and frequency of contacts. We have 3 separate levels telephone reporting (lowest risk clients); moderate supervision (1 office contact per month or every other month depending on score); intensive supervision (highest risk clients, domestic violence offenders or sex offenders) and they re seen 1-2x/month depending on the risk score and/or circumstances. - There is a QA process. The supervisor must review the supervision plan developed by the officer and client and sign off on it. Right now, we re using a paper risk needs rather than an electronic version with a focus on employment/financial situation and condition compliance (referrals to court ordered conditions). For the majority of our clients who report in to the office, they re seen individually where the officer can address criminal attitudes, peer associations/neighborhood problems as well as substance abuse. - Conditions of supervision are ordered by the court prior to a risk assessment occurring, therefore the conditions are developed by the state attorney, defense attorney and judiciary based on criminal history, information included in the charging affidavit and/or what they think they can get the defendant to plea to. i.e. if the charging affidavit doesn t address information regarding substance abuse and it s not a substance abuse related offense, then typically the court is not ordering evaluations for substance abuse. Additionally, even though the statute requires the courts to order a 26-week batterer s intervention program on domestic violence cases, our courts are ordering an 8-hour anger management class because the likelihood of the defendant taking the plea increases.
10 How are these practices determined and/or informed by risk and/or need? What are the caseloads of those supervising offenders under pretrial supervision? Is there any programming/services available/required for offenders on home confinement? ACS/PRS Responses ACS does not use the risk/needs tool to determine eligibility for our program. Assignment are based upon criminal history, worksite need and availability, contractual agreement, etc. ACS does not provide supervision or service pretrial cases normally, but we do supervise upward of 300 clients per officer that are court ordered to perform various days or hours of community service The minimal supervision standard is determined through the use of a risk assessment utilized by the Pretrial Services unit in the jail Marie Eady (84 which include 23 mental health ), Ray Schalk ( 91 telephone reporting), Serina Montijo (73 to include Spanish speaking clients), Ada Perez (77), Steve Pieper (71) Clients referred to Pretrial Release Supervision include the internal Learn to Earn Program which is an employment referral service program
11 Orange County Stakeholders Interviewed and/or in Attendance Onsite (June 31-August 1, 2013) Chief Michael A. Tidwell Deputy Chief Cornita Riley Linda Weinberg, Deputy County Administrator Cindy Boyles, Manager, Community Corrections and Inmate Programs Juanita Beason, Assistant Manager (Acting), Community Corrections and Inmate Programs Georgia Hart, QA Team (ACA Accreditation and policies) Mike Benzer, Administrative Supervisor (Acting) Orlando Portalatin - HR Hector Lopez, HR Ann Marie Giltner, Manager, Inmate Administration Sandy Keegan, Administrative Supervisor (Acting), Pretrial Services Major Vic Adkins, Security Operations Major Rich Powell, Security Support Scott Shevenel, attorney Capt. Janice Bradstreet, Chief s Liaison Allen Moore, Public Information Sue McLendon, Pretrial Diversion (PTD) Gary Bassa, Alternative Community Service (ACS) Maria Scruggs, Pretrial Release Supervision (PTRS) Maddy Wright, Administrative Supervisor (Acting), Probation Shanqueta Ashley, Unit Supervisor (Acting), Probation Sr. CCO Greg Webb Sr. CCO Lucy Barnes Sr. CCO Bob Smedley Sr. CCO Leslie Delgado CCO Ben Adams CCO Nancy Gayden CCO Marcus Braden CCO Kimberly Dukes
12 Onsite Agenda and Interview Schedule Community Corrections Division Orange County Corrections
Orange County Community Corrections Offender Trends by Unit Information Obtained Onsite via Interview 13 The following information was derived as a result of pre-visit analyses and onsite interviews as outlined in the onsite agenda (above): Overall Client Caseload Explicitly noted by all interviewed is the decline in CCD cases as a whole. While some decline in cases can be attributed to the event alluded to earlier within this report; much of this decline began prior to this incident. Factors contributing to this decline are thought to include reduction in the overall local criminal justice population and reduction in jail crowding. It is important to note that a major goal of the CCD has always been understood to be jail bed reduction. Current offender caseloads by CCD Division are outlined below:
14 Based on June 1, 2013 Figures Officer : Client Ratio Officers* Clients 1 Officer Per ACS 6 2291 382 Clients PTD 10 1311 131 PTRS/MH 5 547 109 Probation 21 2887 137 Officers PO Csld Max Csld Probation 2887 Csld 6-1-13 IST 7 60 420 2467 TRS 3 300 900 1567 Mod Team 11 142 1567 * Does not include Admin Officers (court liaison, drug testing)
15 Home Confinement Cases Prior to Incident As a result of the incident discussed earlier in this report, all use of home confinement and electronic monitoring was ceased by the Orange County Mayor. It was noted through onsite discussion that many cases assigned to the Home Confinement Unit were assigned directly by various courts and were used for various purposes including supervision of those on bail or bond. It was also noted that criminogenic risk and need were not part of the consideration for home confinement nor was a programmatic component utilized for targeted reduction of criminogenic need. This resulted in high caseloads of offenders of mixed risk. Many technological and equipment related difficulties were also noted inclusive of false alarms, equipment malfunction, and lack of authority for CCD officers to respond directly to notifications or indications of violations. This is due at least in part to regulations that preclude CCD officers from making arrests and therefore require drafting revocation paperwork, obtaining a judge s signature, filing with the clerk office, filing for
16 and issuing a warrant and notifying a law enforcement agency to investigate home confinement violations. Also clear was the lack of consistent quality assurance practices by CCD supervisors that monitored adherence to important rules and standards for electronic monitoring and home confinement. Such practices were required by policy but not completed with any consistency. CCD leadership has enhanced consistent quality assurance practices beginning in the 2 nd quarter of 2012 that continue to date. Examples of current quality assurance reports are included in Appendix A.
17 Pretrial Diversion Cases Pretrial Diversion is used by the Orange County system of criminal justice and overseen by the PTD Unit of the CCD largely for first or lower risk DUI and Non-Violent Misdemeanor defendants referred by the state attorney s office. These offenders are distributed to Tier 1 or Tier 2 assignment (based upon defined offense related criteria) and agree to adhere to rigorous treatment and community service as part of a 12 or 15 month contract mandated by the state. Each offender is responsible for a range of fees, which at times tend to be an impediment to successful completion; however, members of the PTD unit reported an 84% rate of success. In return for successful completion of the PTD contract, pending charges are dismissed without record of a conviction.
18 Pretrial Release Cases The Pretrial Services (PTS) begins work with incarcerated offenders within the Orange County Correctional Facility receiving area with an assessment of current crime and related factors, risk to reoffend, and risk related to court reappearance. This assessment is completed using a structured interview process and the Virginia Model Pretrial Assessment tool and is often used by the initial appearance judge to aid in release decisions. Based upon risk scores derived from the initial assessment process, released offenders are assigned to community supervision ranging from telephone reporting (lower risk offenders) to supervision contact 2-3 times per week (higher risk offenders). It should be noted that Pretrial Release Supervision (PTRS) operates separately from other pretrial services provided and that the Orange County Chief Judge recently rendered ineligible for PTRS any defendants with dangerous crimes as defined by Florida Statute. This requires PTS court officers to notify Initial Appearance Judges that these offenders are not eligible for PTRS.
19 Probation Cases With 9 Officers, the CCD Probation Unit supervises approximately 1300 offenders compromised of Traffic Offenses (approximately 70%) and Misdemeanors (approximately 30%). DUI offenders are required to attend extensive state-mandated programming at a relatively significant expense for between 26 and 52 weeks. While costs to offenders can be waived at times, cost was recognized as a significant impediment for offenders striving to complete the program. The Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) is utilized within CCD Probation to obtain criminogenic risk and need information; however Officers stated that they have little to no authority to focus on criminogenic needs in their case plans. They further stated that some courts will listen to probation recommendations (derived from ORAS) but many will not utilize this information to guide decision making and/or program assignment.
20 Alternative Community Services Cases The Alternative Community Services Unit (ACS) helps with placement of offenders in community work sites throughout Orange County. The ACS Unit manages approximately 100 non-profit worksites throughout Orange County and interacts with these worksites to help clients complete their community service successfully. ACS helps to supervise a range of offenders who come from a wide range of referral sources (incarcerated and released on supervision, State Department of Corrections, Misdemeanor Probation, directly from the courts, etc.) and work assignments range from a minimum of 5 hours total to 16 hours per month. Approximately 2300 offenders are supervised by 6 CCD officers. It should be noted that as of October 1, 2013, the ACS unit will no longer supervise offenders released from the State Department of Corrections; therefore ACS caseloads are expected to be reduced significantly.
21 Individual Interviews on site July 31-August 1, 2013 Policy-Level, System Stakeholders As reflected by the Site Agenda, it was agreed that the undersigned would conduct personal interviews with the following policy-level, CCD Stakeholders: Chief Michael A. Tidwell Deputy Chief Cornita Riley Linda Weinberg, Deputy County Administrator Cindy Boyles, Manager, Community Corrections and Inmate Programs Juanita Beason, Assistant Manager (Acting), Community Corrections and Inmate Programs The general tone of all interviews revealed policy level stakeholders who showed interest in the continuing improvement of the CCD and Orange County Corrections as a whole (inclusive of incarcerated offenders). As part of this discussion, the development of programs and practices that have continuity from Orange County Jails to the CCD was considered and it was revealed that the CCD is in the process of taking responsibility for all offender programs delivered both in the jail and on community supervision. The intention of this policy is to make consistent the application of EBP department wide. In this context, the NIC/Urban Institute s Transition from Jail to the Community Model was considered for its applicability throughout the Orange County System of Corrections. Also discussed was the reality that much of what the CCD is assigned or directed to do with/for offenders is dictated by entities outside of the Orange County Corrections Department (OCCD). Articulated was the need for a commonly understood, criminal justice system-wide approach to the management of Orange County offenders (inclusive of shared system level goals/outcomes). Previously shared information outlining common system decision points at which offender populations are managed throughout a criminal justice system (more information available @ http://www.cepp.com/documents/ebdm%20framework.pdf) led to interest in
22 integrating/understanding how the efforts of the OCCD fit with other important criminal justice stakeholders throughout Orange County. In this context the local criminal justice coordinating council (CJCC) was mentioned as a viable entity through which many policylevel stakeholders could be engaged. Examples of system level recidivism reduction strategies were also shared to help to begin a process in which OCCD could better integrate its strategies to reduce criminal recidivism with the local criminal justice system at large to realize enhanced long-term public safety outcomes. Also shared as part of these interviews was the reality of high caseloads with offenders of varying risk to reoffend and the related difficulties encountered by CCD officers in managing these cases as effectively as possible. Despite having completed training and implementing the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS), criminogenic risk and need information is utilized in some units of the CCD, yet not in others. Accordingly, a significant percentage of CCD case loads are comprised of lower risk and first time offenders. The sporadic usage of ORAS information within the CCD to guide targeted case management is complicated further by the fact that courts commonly assign treatment for CCD offenders without consideration of ORAS assessment information. Also noteworthy is the fact that programs/interventions to which offenders are assigned (by either the courts or the CCD) have not been evaluated to determine the extent to which they adhere to evidence-based policy and practice.
23 Observations, Recommendations, and Summary Orange County Community Corrections and Offender Reentry
24 Observations Officials of the Orange County Corrections Department of all levels showed great interest in the local application of current offender research inclusive of criminal justice system decision making and the Transition from Jail to the Community Model. Accordingly, all demonstrated a strong commitment and an openness to evaluate different ways of managing their offender population to obtain the best long term public safety outcomes. Within Orange County a positive system orientation was evident that could accommodate the implementation of effective community corrections practices as well as jail transition efforts both within Orange County facilities and throughout the community. While recognizing that in many cases data are not available that would be useful to various areas of EBP implementation, a strong acceptance of the use of data to drive future decision making was consistent among all interviewed. Various services exist for offenders within the community and the jail, but a system of coordination of same between the jail and the community is limited. Despite having completed training and implementing the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS), criminogenic risk and need information is utilized in some units of the CCD, yet not in others. Accordingly, caseloads throughout the CCD are comprised of offenders with vastly different criminogenic needs. For incarcerated populations, neither risk to reoffend information nor an evidenced-based method to determine treatment targets or develop case/transition plans are available. The data and information that the CCD does collect that could be helpful to the courts at various system decisions points is not commonly provided or utilized by the courts. However, the professional relationships and motivation to improve that were evident provide for an atmosphere of positive collaboration within the OCCD and position it to capitalize on existing strengths while addressing limitations or gaps in its own practice as well as leading discussion throughout the Orange County
25 Criminal Justice System designed to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based policy and practice. As outlined throughout this report, discussions with various Orange County Corrections Department Stakeholders resulted in a variety of EBP implementation paths for consideration. Accordingly, for clarity, all recommendations below will be divided into three (3) categories: CCD Specific Practices, Transition from Jail to the Community, and Evidence-Based Decision Making - Orange County Criminal Justice System.
26 RECOMMENDATIONS - CCD Specific Practices Implement an automated full system screening tool (such as the Proxy tool discussed on site Proxy Implementation document provided in Appendix B ) to understand the entire CCD offender population by risk to reoffend. o Once implemented, such a tool would give CCD leadership information to evaluate the actual number of lower, medium, and higher risk offenders for which they are responsible at any given time. o After full system screening, develop procedures to govern when, how, why, and by whom existing tools such as the Virginia Model Pretrial Tool and the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) are utilized, keeping in mind that longer or more intensive actuarial assessment processes should only be utilized if they are intended to drive case plans targeted to reduce criminogenic need. Evaluate available system resources (staff, fiscal, and service providers) to determine the extent to which services are available to manage offenders of differing risk/need within the community. o Using the information derived from full system screening (described above) and integrating this information with common terms and conditions of probation (if applicable), determine how offenders of each level of risk will be supervised (i.e. lowest risk telephone or no reporting; higher risk evidence driven case/treatment plan). o Commonly accepted sanctions or methods of short-term control such as Electronic or GPS Monitoring, Alternative Sanctions, Diversion, etc. should be considered for their usefulness in offender management within the community; however, practices/services available or needed to reduce the likelihood of re-offense for higher risk offenders should also be evaluated for their use in concert with these strategies. o Determine officer caseload size by risk to reoffend. Full system screening information will provide the actual number of offenders in various risk categories, then, using this information, CCD leadership can determine the number of officers/staff available to supervise offenders of varying risk levels. As part of this discussion, CCD civilian staff (such as Correctional Aides or Administrative Specialists) should be considered to perform functions related to lower risk offender populations such as monitoring of telephone contacts. o Prioritize CCD resource allocation to highest risk offenders. Ensure that higher risk offender populations are managed by officers with appropriate caseload sizes and that sufficient evidencebased services are available for targeted risk/need reduction prior to allocating resources to lower risk offenders. o As resource allows (after higher risk offenders are accounted for) develop less intensive protocols to manage lower risk offenders; however ensure prioritization of resources by risk to reoffend (i.e. the higher the risk the more service/supervision).
27 o Evaluate and realign existing CCD units to identify duplication of efforts, over programming/assignment of lower risk offenders, consistency of effort/action by risk to reoffend, etc. Formalize the consistent use of the ORAS to be used for targeted case planning throughout CCD for all higher risk offenders. Identify system services/programs/interventions available to mitigate higher risk needs identified by the ORAS. o Determine the extent to which existing programs are evidence based. o If applicable, identify gaps in services/programs/interventions for criminogenic needs identified by the ORAS. Develop an automated system of case management to enhance the consistency of service/program/intervention assignment driven by ORAS assessment. Where possible, develop quality assurance processes to be used on a regular basis to evaluate the use of automated processes identified above such as Proxy implementation, ORAS, and Case Management. o Develop outcome based quality assurance efforts for each CCD Unit/Practice/Intervention that measure system outcomes such as recidivism, violation rates, etc. o Report these outcomes regularly throughout the organization. o Using outcomes from the overarching QA process, evaluate current policies and practices and revise as necessary.
RECOMMENDATIONS - Transition from Jail to the Community (TJC) 28 Review the Transition from Jail to the Community Model Implementation Toolkit available online @ http://www.urban.org/projects/tjc/toolkit/. An overview of the TJC Model is provided within Appendix D. Consider the implementation of an automated full system screening tool (such as the Proxy tool discussed on site Proxy Implementation document provided in Appendix B ) to understand the entire incarcerated offender population by risk to reoffend. o Once implemented, such a tool would provide information to evaluate the actual number of incarcerated lower, medium, and higher risk offenders. Informed by risk to reoffend screening throughout the incarcerated population, higher risk offenders could be targeted to receive intensive service within the jail and be readied for transition to the community while lower risk offenders could be evaluated for alternatives to incarceration, community supervision, or diversionary practices as applicable. Consider the use of an actuarial assessment of criminogenic needs such as the ORAS to drive jail transition planning for higher risk offenders. Review programs within the jail as well as the community to ensure that they have continuity and that they utilize evidence-based program curricula to mitigate identified criminogenic needs of transitioning, higher risk to reoffend inmates. RECOMMENDATIONS - Evidence-Based Decision Making - Orange County Criminal Justice System To realize most effective outcomes, important, policy-level stakeholders within the Orange County Criminal Justice (CJ) System should: o Formalize the role of the existing Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and develop a common system mission to be utilized as a standard of evaluation for existing and proposed programs as well as for various outcome and process measures. Information relative to this task is available within the TJC implementation toolkit (available online @ http://www.urban.org/projects/tjc/toolkit/module3/section3_7.html) o Agree upon and define system outcomes such as recidivism as well as important process measures such as those outlined within the TJC implementation toolkit (available online @ http://www.urban.org/projects/tjc/toolkit/module4/index.html) o Evaluate existing data for its usefulness in evaluating system-wide actions, decisions, and outcomes and the interface ability of existing IT systems. o Evaluate the actions and policies of stakeholder agencies relative to alignment with agreed upon system mission and measurements. o Consider the use of the Evidence Based Decision Making Model (more information available @ http://www.cepp.com/documents/ebdm%20framework.pdf) to assist in CJ system evaluation and to understand how the efforts of the OCCD fit with other important criminal justice stakeholders.
29 Summary Led by Chief Tidwell and his executive team, the Orange County Corrections Department has realized many practices that are intended to decrease the rate at which Orange County offenders reoffend. Within Orange County, there also exists a group of policy-level stakeholders (of which Chief Tidwell is part) who are interested in the improvement of offender outcomes throughout Orange County. Indeed, many services and initiatives are available throughout Orange County that could be well-poised to contribute to a larger system mission of enhanced long-term public safety. The major effort is to coordinate the application and use of existing efforts and services in the Orange County Corrections Department as well as CJ system at large (informed by scientific analysis and research) to evaluate and implement evidence based policy and practice proven to enhance long-term public safety. As with any change initiative, special care must be taken to implement key foundational components (outlined throughout this report) to establish a proven system of offender behavioral change, reentry, and/or transition; rather than a compilation of innovative, yet unrelated, programs and/or services whose full benefit to Orange County as a whole is somewhat unclear. It has been a great pleasure to work with the committed professionals of the Orange County Corrections Department. Their unified commitment to the betterment of criminal justice practice is quite refreshing and extremely unique. It is this writer s belief that the collaborative atmosphere established within Orange County Corrections Department of can yield significant benefit both within their organization as well as the system at large as more criminal justice stakeholders are engaged in the local application of evidence-based policy and practice. Special thanks go to Dr. Cindy Boyles and Assistant Manager Juanita Beason for their assistance in supplying vital information and coordination
30 of site-visit logistics. This writer looks forward to the progress of the Orange County Corrections Department, its system at large, and its contributions to enhancement of longterm public safety within Orange County. Accordingly, this writer stands ready to assist in any way that he is able to clarify or help to move forward the recommendations or discussion contained herein. Respectfully submitted, Gary E. Christensen, Ph. D.
31 Appendix A Sample QA CCD Audit Schedule
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43 Appendix C CJCC ppt. Facilitation/Planning Slides Electronic Copies of all Materials Furnished in.ppt and.pdf format
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53 Appendix D NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE REENTRY AND JAIL TRANSITION The Transition from Jail to the Community Model
54 NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE REENTRY AND JAIL TRANSITION Alternatives to Incarceration Alternatives to incarceration, whether beginning in jail, as part of reentry efforts, or as a diversion from jail include a variety of programs for sentenced and pre-trial offenders at the local level. Alternatives to incarceration programs are grounded in a philosophy of least restrictive setting for dealing with offenders of lower risk to reoffend. As part of a graduated continuum of services and sanctions, alternative programs provide jurisdictions with community-based options for dealing with non-violent, low risk offenders without compromising public safety and reserving costly jail beds only for those who require a secure setting. Perhaps most importantly, proper placement based upon criminogenic risk and need has been proven to net better long-term public safety outcomes. Alternative to incarceration programs can also be effective methods to provide intensive supervision and services for offenders while utilizing sanctions that are less restrictive and costly than incarceration and more than traditional probation. Used properly, they reduce jail overcrowding and, in concert with other strategies, also reduce recidivism. Best Practice Much research has been conducted on alternative programs, providing a body of empirical knowledge about program effectiveness. Best practice includes research conducted throughout the world and has identified key components and programs that impact recidivism and program completion rates. The What Works literature has been an integral part of this research and has evolved into proven evidence-based policy and practice (EBP) designed for implementation in a variety of correctional settings to increase
55 efficiency and reduce recidivism. An integral component of EBP is screening and assessment to determine offenders risk to reoffend. For purposes of this document the term risk is used in this context and is not intended to change or supplant jail classification procedures and/or risk for dangerous institutional behavior. Jail Transition A Review of the NIC/Urban Institute Transition from the Jail to the Community (TJC) Model The following is a review of the TJC model. Additional information is available @ www.jailtransition.com TJC is not a discrete program; it is a new way of doing business - an innovative, collaborative, data-driven approach to jail/community transition. The figure below illustrates the TJC approach to effective jail to community transition and identifies the key components of the TJC model at both the system level and the intervention level.
56 The TJC model requires system change, utilizing screening and assessment to develop targeted interventions for each offender based upon his/her risk and need. The elements of the model are outlined below: Leadership, vision and organizational culture to set expectations and empower stakeholders and staff. Collaboration and joint ownership by jail, community, and system stakeholders to develop and share responsibility for agreed upon outcomes of mutual interest. Data-driven understanding of the local issue, including characteristics of the returning population, available system assets, and barriers impeding or preventing successful implementation. Targeted intervention strategies to assess individuals, plan for release, and provide services and training in jail and in the community. Screening and assessment to evaluate an inmate s risks and needs and guide transition planning and service provision; Transition plan development to prepare individuals for release and reintegration; Tailored and consistent evidence-based transition interventions that begin in jail and continue after release; and Self-evaluation and sustainability to guide and improve the effort. TJC Model Components: Leadership, Vision and Organizational Culture The development of an effective jail transition strategy requires the active involvement of key decision-makers to set expectations, identify important issues, articulate a clear vision of success, and engage staff and other stakeholders in the effort. These key
57 stakeholders will lead local efforts to build a common vision for systems reform and develop infrastructure for inter-agency and community collaboration, coordination, and information sharing. In doing so, these system leaders will align missions and organizational cultures of partner agencies to support transition goals and clarify and define roles and responsibilities under the local initiative. In addition, champions or change agents from all levels at key agencies will be critical to moving the initiative forward. Collaboration and Joint Ownership Transition from jail to the community is neither the sole responsibility of the jail system nor of the community. Effective transition strategies will rely on collaboration and information-sharing among jail and community- based partners and joint ownership of the problem and the solution. Given that many of the people who exit jails are already involved with multiple social service and criminal justice agencies, a collaborative approach is essential to tackling jail transition. Successful implementation of the TJC model will require formal buy-in from multiple individuals and agencies within a community, from criminal justice and local government stakeholders to community members and organizations. Key stakeholders include: Jail Administrators and/or Sheriffs; Police Departments; Community Supervision and Pretrial Service Agencies; The Courts, Prosecutors and Public Defenders; County Executives and local Legislators; Treatment and Service Providers; Health and Mental Health Agencies; Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Development Agencies; Local businesses and corporate entities;
58 Victim Advocates; Members of the affected population and their families, and Community residents. Sites implementing the TJC model are required to form local reentry councils or build on existing criminal justice councils, and engage in collaborative strategic planning to guide TJC development and implementation. In rural areas, reentry councils may be regional and include representatives from surrounding communities and jurisdictions. In addition to shared goals and principles, joint ownership will also involve identifying shared outcomes of interest and common performance measures to assess progress, inform adjustments to the strategy, and hold the local initiative accountable to its goals. Data-Driven Understanding of the Local Issue In the development of a jail transition strategy, decision-making and policy formation must be informed by local data. An understanding of local barriers and assets is especially relevant in the area of jail transition, in that most people exiting jail return to a relatively small number of nearby communities where resources are often scarce and must be efficiently targeted. To better understand their local context, TJC sites will review jail management information systems and program records maintained by community agencies to identify the characteristics and needs of the jail population as well as the range of available resources. This baseline information is critical to the accurate assessment of key issues and the development of an appropriate set of integrated responses. A clear understanding of the local reentry landscape is necessary to establish policies and programs that reflect local realities including political and legal constraints as well as opportunities for collaboration and resource and capacity development. Accordingly, jurisdictions will be expected to:
59 1) Assess the characteristics of the jail population, local crime problems, and existing laws and policies that govern various aspects of jail transition. 2) Identify the specific geographic areas to which the jail population returns upon release. 3) Identify those subsets of the jail population likely to consume disproportionate criminal justice and programmatic resources. 4) Identify resources that can be leveraged to address key issues, and the appropriate action steps to remove potential obstacles. 5) Track service referrals, engagement and use, and share that information with partner agencies on a regular basis. Targeted Intervention Strategies Targeted intervention strategies form the core of the TJC model at the individual level and comprise the basic building blocks for effective jail transition. The strategy to improve transition at the individual level involves introducing specific interventions at critical points along the jail-to-community continuum. The underlying premise is that interventions at these key points can improve reintegration and reduce re-offending, thereby increasing long-term public safety. Critical to this approach are the principles that: (1) interventions begin in jail with the booking process and continue, as needed, throughout incarceration and in the community upon release; and (2) interventions are tailored to the specific needs, risks, and strengths of each individual. The TJC model's main intervention-level elements are screening and assessment, transition planning, and interventions that range from the distribution information/contact packets to structured treatment and programming. An ever-growing body of empirical evidence makes clear that assessment, intervention, and aftercare are key components for any strategy aimed at reducing offender recidivism. Implementation of evidence-based
60 practices such as motivational interviewing or treatment programs that use cognitive behavioral therapy are proven to further reduce recidivism and promote reintegration. The TJC initiative encourages jurisdictions to incorporate these and other evidence-based practices into the design of their intervention strategies. Further discussion of interventionlevel elements is presented later in this document. Screening and Assessment Routine screening and assessment of individual s risks, needs, and capacities is an essential component of an effective jail transition intervention strategy. A brief screen during the booking process should capture medical, mental health, and substance abuse issues, and might include a checklist to identify less immediate needs such as employment and housing history. Screening information will inform decisions about classification and placement in the jail, and indicate whether a fuller assessment is warranted. A more detailed assessment may be necessary to measure the severity of various criminogenic needs such as substance abuse or mental health issues identified during initial screening and to guide the development of individual transition plans. Periodic assessment will also inform the evaluation of transition efforts and subsequent revisions to transition plans. Transition Plan Development A transition plan is essential in preparing individuals for release and enhancing long term reintegration, particularly for those who are assessed as having moderate or highrisk/need. The plan specifies the types of interventions an individual needs, when and where interventions should occur, who will deliver them, and the activities for which the individual needs to take responsibility. In a jail setting, a transition plan can be as simple as receiving resource or information packets prior to release or as comprehensive as working with a case manager and community based providers weeks or months before release and upon return to the community.
61 For higher risk individuals who warrant more comprehensive transition plans, these plans should be informed by screening and assessment, reviewed regularly, and updated as necessary while in custody and after release. Transition plans will typically specify prerelease interventions to be delivered either by jail staff or community-based providers conducting jail in-reach. Transition plans should also include discharge interventions to address the moment of release those critical first hours and days after release from jail and to facilitate the provision of needed services in the community. Typically transition plans may target issues such as housing, employment, family reunification, educational needs, substance abuse treatment, and health and mental health services. In many cases, a discharge plan may be the primary intervention for individuals released within hours or a few days of entering jail. Implicit in this approach is the understanding that one size does not fit all and that plans should be tailored for each individual. Tailored Transition Interventions The scope of a jurisdiction s targeted interventions may range from formal treatment to, more commonly, access to community-based providers, volunteers, or family members who conduct in-reach into the jail. Some interventions will occur in jail while others will take place in the community after release; but many interventions will begin in jail and continue with a community-based provider after the individual s release from jail. Such an arrangement will facilitate greater continuity for service delivery and lead to improved outcomes. Pre-release interventions, delivered either by jail staff or community-based providers, may include: Provision of informational resources such as resource packets
62 A designated Resource Officer Brief training programs that prepare individuals for reentry Services such as drug and alcohol treatment, educational programs, and job training Access to community-based and informal social supports such as family, mentors and members of the faith community Case management to facilitate continuity of care (wherein individual clients retain a single case manager/transition planner before and after release). Discharge interventions are designed to aid the individual s transition from jail to the community and to sustain gains made through pre-release interventions. Examples of discharge interventions include: Resource packets Referrals to community agencies Scheduled appointments in the community A temporary supply of medication Identification documents Updated transition plans Transportation to a service provider, home, or probation office Contact information for key individuals who will facilitate the individual s service plan in the community Work done while in jail to begin treatment, develop relationships with service providers, and connect individuals to service appointments in the community will have little impact after release without follow-up in the community. Accordingly, it is important that community-based organizations and support networks provide continuity of care or in many cases, initiate care through services, training, treatment, and case management when
63 an individual is released. Examples of community-based interventions include service provision in areas such as job readiness training, substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling, post-release case management, access to reentry information through outreach or a toll-free hotline, engaging informal social supports, and post-release supervision, as applicable. Self-Evaluation and Sustainability The final system-level building block needed to ensure success is ongoing planning to conduct objective self-evaluation and enhance sustainability of the overall effort. Selfevaluation refers to the ability and commitment of local stakeholders to monitor progress and make needed modifications throughout the process to ensure that both intermediate and long-term goals are met. Baseline data collected on the jail transition population and available resources should continue to be collected in support of ongoing self-evaluation. Routine assessments of the initiative s efforts should include data on key outcomes that are of interest to partners and potential funders to show progress in achieving desired improvements. Jurisdictions are encouraged to establish mechanisms such as forums, routine reports from partner agencies or client satisfaction surveys to obtain early and frequent feedback from partners and constituents regarding key aspects of the initiative. The ultimate goal of the TJC initiative is to build jail to community transition efforts that last. Sustainability depends on both formal and informal mechanisms employed by the local initiative to ensure the longevity and legacy of partner efforts. Formal information-sharing and resource-sharing agreements that delineate how agencies and organizations work together over time are examples of mechanisms that promote sustainability. The continued involvement of local reentry or criminal justice councils in jail transition can also facilitate the sustainability of efforts over time.
For more information, the Transition from the Jail to the Community Implementation Toolkit is available @ http://www.urban.org/projects/tjc/toolkit/ 64