7/5: Call with Allen Godfrey (Director of Field Services, Minnesota Department of Corrections) to continue establishing objectives for TA and working group recommendations.
7/6: Call with Brian Mirasolo (Deputy Commissioner, Field Services, Massachusetts Probation Service) to finalize working group recommendations and upcoming site visit details and logistics.
7/6: Kickoff meeting with Minnesota team representatives Allen Godfrey (Director of Field Services, State of Minnesota), Kameron âKamiâ Genz (Director, Aitkin County, Community Corrections Association), Tracy Hudrlik (Interstate Director, Minnesota Department of Corrections), and Michael Schommer (Probation Director, Otter Tail County Probation) to initiate the agencyâs TA efforts and discuss TA strategies and next steps.
7/10: Kickoff meeting with Angela Mosley-Ross (Supervisor, Grants Management Unit, New Jersey Department of Corrections), Lisa Palmiere (Director, Classification Services, New Jersey Department of Corrections), Tracy Robidoux (Administrative Analyst, Grants Management Unit, New Jersey Department of Corrections), Dr. Laura Salerno (Director, Compliance and Strategic Planning, New Jersey Department of Corrections), and Helene Tome (Assistant Commissioner,Womenâs Services, New Jersey Department of Corrections) to initiate the agencyâs TA efforts and discuss TA strategies and next steps.
7/13: Call with Minnesota team representatives Allen Godfrey (Director of Field Services, State of Minnesota), Carli Stark (Director of the Minnesota Association of Community Corrections Act Counties and Public Safety Policy Analyst at the Association of Minnesota Counties), Jonathan Shiro (Court Services Director, Waseca County Minnesota), and Michael Schommer (Probation Director, Otter Tail County Probation) to discuss committee progression, overview of the National Guidelines project, and further CSG Justice Center involvement within the state.
7/18: Call with Dr. Emily Salisbury (Research Director, Womenâs Risk Needs Assessment â" WRNA; Associate Professor, University of Utah) and Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.) to discuss the technical assistance process and plan for the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
7/20: Call with Allen Godfrey (Director of Field Services with the Minnesota Department of Corrections) to discuss site visit planning and logistics. 8/2: Call with Brian Mirasolo (Deputy Commissioner of Field Services, Massachusetts Probation Service), Mike Coelho (Deputy Commissioner of Programs, Massachusetts Probation Service), and Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates) to discuss recommendations for the RFP relating to the revalidation of the ORAS instrument.
8/9: Call with Brian Mirasolo (Deputy Commissioner, Field Services, Massachusetts Probation Service) to finalize APPA panel questions and logistics for the conference.
8/9: Call with Dr. Ralph Serin (Professor/Director of the Criminal Justice Decision Making Laboratory, Carleton University) regarding the national guidelines project and the Dynamic Risk Assessment of Offender Re-Entry (DRAOR) instrument.
8/9: Meeting with Tracy Hudrlik (Interstate Director, MN DOC), Allen Godfrey (Field Services Director, MN DOC), Kameron Genz (Director, Aitkin County, MACCAC), Michael Schommer (Probation Director, Otter Tail County, MACPO), and Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates) to discuss an overview of the agencyâs application materials and self-assessment results. Dr. Desmarais provided feedback and additional questions regarding the agenciesâ assessment tools and validation of those tools. CSG Justice Center staff presented a brief overview of working group standards and requirements for the agency to finalize the working group members. CSG Justice Center staff also discussed final planning for the upcoming site visit on September 11.
8/23: CSG Justice Center staff, along with Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates) conducted the first virtual working group meeting with the Massachusetts Probation Service. During the meeting, CSG Justice Center staff provided a review of RFP recommendations for the rest of the working group and discussed any foreseeable challenges with incorporating the recommendations provided by Dr. Desmarais. Current and future action items were discussed with an emphasis on establishing focus groups (both external and internal) to begin meetings toward the end of September/beginning of October. Working group meetings for September were also confirmed and scheduled.
8/24: Call with Mike Coelho (Deputy Commissioner of Programs, Massachusetts Probation Service) and Vincent Lorenti (Director of Community Corrections, Massachusetts Probation Service) to discuss the use of risk assessment results to inform case planning decisions.
8/26: Call with Dr. Daryl Kroner (Assistant Professor, Southern Illinois University Carbondale) to finalize APPA panel questions, logistics, and presentation details for the conference.
8/30: Call with Allen Godfrey (Field Services Director, Minnesota Department of Corrections) to discuss and finalize the site visit agenda for September 11 9/5: Call with Dr. Emily Salisbury (Associate Professor, Social Work, University of Utah; Director, Utah Criminal Justice Center), Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.), and Dr. Laura Salerno (Director, Compliance and Strategic Planning, New Jersey Department of Corrections) to discuss technical assistance updates and next steps for the New Jersey Department of Corrections. (3 attendees)
9/11: Call during an in-person site visit to include Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.) and Kevin DuPuis (President of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Tribal Nations representative). CSG Justice Center staff provided an extensive overview of the National Guidelines project, provided an in-depth analysis of the three agenciesâ self-assessment tool results, and began discussing the goals, objectives, and challenges of their TA plan. Action items and next steps were provided to the stakeholders to progress in the continuation of the TA process. (13 attendees)
9/13: Call with Dr. Emily Salisbury (Associate Professor, Social Work, University of Utah; Director, Utah Criminal Justice Center) to discuss the implementation of the WRNA with the New Jersey Department of Corrections. (1 attendee)
9/15: Call with Dr. Brian Lovins (President-Elect, American Probation and Parole Association (APPA); Associate Director, University of Cincinnatiâs Corrections Institute) to discuss potential budgeting suggestions for MPS when drafting the RFP and any copyright issues regarding the ORAS. (1 attendee)
9/20: Conducted the second virtual working group meeting, along with Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.), with the MPS. During the meeting, MPS staff provided an update on the RFP draft for the rest of the working group and discussed all current challenges for incorporating the recommendations provided by Dr. Desmarais. Current and future action items were discussed with an emphasis on establishing and organizing focus groups (both external and internal) to begin meeting toward the end of October or the beginning of November. Working group meetings for October were also confirmed and scheduled. (8 attendees).
9/21: Call with Mike Coelho (Deputy Commissioner of Programs, Massachusetts Probation Service) to discuss the development of risk communication templates. (1 attendee)
9/28: Call with NJ DOC team and Dr. Emily Salisbury (Associate Professor, Social Work, University of Utah; Director, Utah Criminal Justice Center) to further discuss validation and implementation needs of the WRNA, training needs for NJ DOC, and identify questions to keep moving the process forward. (9 attendees)
9/29: Presentation during the initial MN Community Supervision Advisory Committee Meeting with representatives from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC), Minnesota Association of Community Corrections Act Counties (MACCAC), Minnesota Association of County Probation Officers (MACPO). During the meeting, CSG Justice Center staff provided an extensive overview of Justice Reinvestment in Minnesota and Phases I and II recommendations to improve supervision practices across the three delivery systems. The presentation concluded with a comprehensive overview of the National Guidelines project, provided an in-depth analysis of the three agenciesâ self-assessment tool results, and began discussing the goals, objectives, and challenges of their TA plan. (20 attendees) 10/2: Call with Brian Mirasolo (Deputy Commissioner, Field Services, Massachusetts Probation Service) to discuss updates to the completion of the RFP. (1 participant)
10/3: Call with Dr. Chip Tafrate (Federal Probation Service) to discuss his journal article mentioning the National Guidelines project. (1 participant)
10/9: Call with the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC), Minnesota Association of Community Corrections Act Counties (MACCAC), Minnesota Association of County Probation Officers (MACPO), and Minnesota Tribal Nations to discuss the decision to move forward with implementation, validation, and next steps of the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) assessment instrument across all three delivery systems. (18 participants)
10/30: Call with Al Godfrey (Field Services Director, Minnesota Department of Corrections), to discuss a potential site visit in November 2023 and validation process of the LS/CMI assessment instrument.(1 participant)
10/30: Call during an in-person site visit with Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.) and Alyse Demary (Chief Probation Officer â" Nantucket & Edgartown District Courts, MPS). CSG Justice Center staff provided an extensive overview of the National Guidelines project and MPSâs TA application request to all focus group participants. Additionally, CSG Justice Center staff discussed, in-depth, the current challenges and barriers to the use of the agencyâs risk and needs assessment instrument and solicited vital feedback from MPS staff. (2 participants)
10/31: Call during an in-person site visit with Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.) and Kim Gruenberg (Chief Probation Officer â" Quincy District Court, MPS). CSG Justice Center staff provided an extensive overview of the National Guidelines project and MPSâs TA application request to all focus group participants. Additionally, CSG Justice Center staff discussed, in-depth, the current challenges and barriers to the use of the agencyâs risk and needs assessment instrument and solicited vital feedback from MPS staff. (2 participants)
10/31: Call during an in-person site visit with Rhonda Akers (Chief Probation Officer, MPS) and Scott Fichera (Chief Probation Officer, MPS). CSG Justice Center staff provided an extensive overview of the National Guidelines project and MPSâs TA application request to all focus group participants. Additionally, CSG Justice Center staff discussed, in-depth, the current challenges and barriers to the use of the agencyâs risk and needs assessment instrument and solicited vital feedback from MPS staff. (2 participants) 11/27 â" Call with Jeffrey Locke (Senior Policy Advisor, Bureau of Justice Assistance) to discuss updates for the national risk guidelines project. (1 participant, 1 agency)
11/28 â" Call with the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC), Minnesota Association of Community Corrections Act Counties (MACCAC), and Minnesota Association of County Probation Officers (MACPO) to discuss the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the validation and timeline of the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) risk and needs assessment (RNA). (17 participants, 3 agencies) 12/1 â" Call with Washington Department of Corrections to respond to a Level 1 TA request. The team met with Dr. Courtney Bagdon-Cox (Senior Research Manager, WA DOC), Thea Mounts (Chief Data Officer, WA DOC), and Kambiz Tavabi (Principal Research Statistician, WA DOC). During the meeting, an in-depth synopsis of the National Risk Guidelines project was provided to WA DOC staff, along with information related to the use of risk and need assessments throughout the country. (3 participants, 1 agency)
12/4- Call with Brian Mirasolo (Deputy Commissioner, Field Services) regarding the RFP draft and to provide feedback ahead of the MPS working group meeting. (1 participant, 1 agency)
12/5- Call with the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJ DOC) core team, including Dr. Laura Salerno (Director, Office of Compliance and Strategic Planning), Helena Tome (Assistant Commissioner, Womenâs Services), and Angela Mosley (Supervising Administrative Analyst, Grants Management Unit), to discuss updates from NJ DOC regarding Women's Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) implementation plan, the status of planning with Dr. Salisbury, upcoming TA activities, and the next full core team meeting dates. (3 participants, 1 agency)
12/7 - CSG Justice Center staff presented at Minnesotaâs third Community Supervision Advisory Committee meeting with representatives from Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC), Minnesota Association of Community Corrections Act Counties (MACCAC), Minnesota Association of County Probation Officers (MACPO). CSG Justice Center staff provided a brief overview of the National Risk Guidelines project and an in-depth analysis of the TA strategy in Minnesota and began discussing the goals, objectives, and focus of the MN teamâs TA strategy. (17 participants, 5 agencies)
12/18 â" Call with Wendy Spry (Tribal Liaison, MN DOC), Rachel Miller (Corrections Agent, MN DOC), and Cyndy Milda (Board Member, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC). The discussion centered on the MN Tribal Nations population and its connection to validating the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) risk and needs assessment. Wendy Spry will be attending MIACâs first quarterly meeting on February 20â"21 to discuss the MN Tribal Nations population and the validation of the LS/CMI. (3 participants, 3 agencies)Â Â
12/19 â" Call with Dr. Sarah Desmarais (President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.) and Al Godfrey (Field Services Director, MN DOC) to discuss the Request for Proposal process and timeline for the validation of the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) risk and needs assessment. (2 participants, 1 agency)Â 12/20 â" Call with Jeffrey Locke (Senior Policy Advisor, Bureau of Justice Assistance) to discuss updates for the National Risk Guidelines project. During the call, the project team shared updates about each of the TA states, changes to the TA request language, new self-assessment tool submissions received, upcoming presentations and conferences, an invitation for submitting a journal article, outreach strategies, and the expected timelines for items requiring BJA review and approval. (1 participant, 1 agency)
12/20 â" CSG Justice Center staff conducted a working group meeting to discuss the results of the in-person focus groups that took place in October and to provide feedback on the RFP draft. MPS staff, along with the project team, also discussed logistics for virtual focus groups and another in-person visit in early 2024. (6 participants, 1 agency
12/21 â" Call with Al Godfrey (Field Services Director, MN DOC) to discuss Request for Proposal process for the validation of the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) risk and needs assessment and next steps for implementation strategies within DOC. (1 participant, 1 agency)12/21 â" Call with Emily Baldwin-Mooney (Advocacy Manager, Criminal Justice, Arnold Ventures) to discuss Minnesotaâs TA and a general overview of the National Guidelines for Post-Conviction Risk and Needs Assessment. (1 Participant, 1 agency)
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