In November, CSG Justice Center staff continued to socialize the guidelines and engage key partners in the field, conduct calls for technical assistance (TA) requests, provide TA to select states, follow up on TA request forms under BJA review, develop presentations for upcoming conferences, brainstorm and develop topics and meeting strategy for virtual Peer Session #4, and further identify project next steps.
The project team continued developing templates for stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of communication around risk and need assessment processes. The templates will contain frequently asked questions and an outline that can be adapted by stakeholders.
On November 13, BJA provided approval for the two new Level 2 TA site requests - Arizona Supreme Court Probation Division and Montana Department of Corrections. The project team began to plan the next steps for working with these sites and we aim to schedule calls in the coming weeks. The project team shared monthly updates with the BJA senior policy advisor, which included the status of selected TA sites, upcoming conferences, and upcoming items for review.
CSG Justice Center staff connected with the executive director and CEO of the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) to discuss potential collaboration in technical assistance initiatives, contributing to their magazine, and opportunities to meet with their board members.
The project team continued to prepare for the Second Chance Act (SCA) conference taking place in Philadelphia, PA, from December 16-18, being planned by the National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC). This preparation included finalizing the project team's presentation, organizing speakers, and finalizing travel logistics. The presentation is under review with BJA for feedback.
Technical Assistance (TA) States:
Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS)
In November, CSG Justice Center staff were informed that MPS officially selected Justice System Partners (JSP) to conduct the revalidation of the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) instrument. CSG Justice Center staff will schedule a follow-up meeting with MPS staff in January to discuss the revalidation process and to begin reforming standards.
Due to scheduling difficulties, the project team continues to work with MPS to schedule outstanding focus group meetings with 3 jurisdictions, which will include line-level probation officers and discussion centered on the strengths and limitations of ORAS instrument, along with the challenges associated with administering the assessment and implementing the results through case planning. The team anticipates postponing these efforts until after the RFP vendor presentations are complete. The project team will coordinate with MPS in January to solidify scheduling for both the focus group and the working group meetings.
Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC), Minnesota Association of Community Corrections Act Counties (MACCAC), and Minnesota Association of County Probation Officers (MACPO)
On November 4, CSG Justice Center staff, in collaboration with the MN Phase II Implementation Working Group, presented recommendations on risk and needs assessment instruments during the MN Community Supervision Advisory Committee (CSAC) meeting. The following recommendations were approved by members of MN CSAC:
1. All community supervision agencies must adopt the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) as the primary general risk and needs assessment instrument across all three community supervision systems.
2. All community supervision agencies must use a pre-screener and/or LS/CMI for all post-conviction adult felonies, gross misdemeanors, and targeted misdemeanors referred or ordered to supervision.
3. Primary risk and needs assessment instruments and pre-screeners used in community supervision must be validated and revalidated every five years to ensure ongoing accuracy and consistency. CSAC agrees that the validation and re-validation process should be managed by the MN DOC, in collaboration with impacted agencies.
MN CSAC forwarded these recommendations to the MN DOC Commissioner for final approval. CSG Justice Center staff will support the working group in policy development and related implementation strategies.
On November 6, CSG Justice Center staff facilitated the monthly MN Risk and Needs Assessment Working Group meeting which focused on creating a more consistent approach to how clients are assessed across the state. The working group discussed developing a universal pre-screener using data from the LS/CMI validation study or utilizing Hennepin County's pre-screener, which could make initial assessments standardized and more uniformed across MN. They also explored using offense-specific assessment instruments to address the unique needs of clients in the system, ensuring assessments are trauma-informed and gender-responsive. The working group discussed implementing a 5-level model to standardize assessment cut-off scores and supervision levels across MN. Lastly, the working group highlighted the need for a policy framework that promotes statewide uniformity, while allowing agencies the flexibility to adapt assessment instruments to their specific needs.
The next working group meeting is scheduled for December 4, 2024.
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