In December, 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, finalize and submit upcoming conference presentations for BJA review, present at the Second Chance Act (SCA) conference,continue to identify strategies for extending project work to reach a larger audience, brainstorm and develop topics and meeting strategy for virtual Peer Session #4, and further identify project next steps.
The project team is developing frequently asked questions (FAQ) documents for distinct audiences in the criminal justice and legal fields to learn about the use of risk and needs assessment and how to maximize impact in their roles. The project team is also developing templates for practitioners to enhance the effectiveness of communication around risk and need assessment processes and results to different audiences. The project team is also developing a document to clarify what are the different types of risk and needs assessment instruments available, i.e., general assessments, screener, trailer tools, and when to use them.
CSG Justice Center staff scheduled calls with peers at the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) to discuss potential collaboration in TA initiatives and contributing to their magazine. These calls will take place in January.
On December 13, CSG Justice Center staff shared the draft of the APPA presentation with the senior policy advisor at BJA for review and approval.
In December, the project team continuously applied edits to the SCA conference presentation based on feedback from BJA. On December 13, the project team received confirmation from the NRRC team that the SCA conference presentation had received final approval from BJA.
On December 17, CSG Justice Center staff delivered a presentation at the SCA conference, organized by the National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC) in Philadelphia, PA from December 16-18. The presentation focused on the benefits of integrating risk and needs assessments into reentry case planning, outlined the value of TA around implementing the national guidelines, and emphasized their alignment with the broader mission of advancing evidence-based practices. The session concluded with collaborative breakout groups, where participants engaged in discussions about four key topics related to risk and needs assessments: (1) faith in the use of their assessment instrument, (2) degree of transparency and communication, (3) quality assurance, training, and coaching, and (4) what are the biggest challenges their agencies face.
On December 19, the project team shared monthly updates with the BJA senior policy advisor. Updates included the status of selected TA sites, upcoming conferences, and upcoming items for review.
In December, the project team worked with partners to apply updates to their consultant contracts.
Technical Assistance (TA) States:
Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS)
In December, CSG Justice Center staff worked with MPS staff to schedule a follow-up meeting in January regarding the revalidation of the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS), as well as the next working group meeting to continue moving the TA work forward.
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 the ORAS instrument, along with the challenges associated with administering the assessment and implementing the results through case planning. The project team will coordinate with MPS in January to solidify scheduling for the focus group meetings.
The next working group meeting will be scheduled in January to begin discussions around reforming the agency's 2014 standards to align more closely with best practices.
Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC), Minnesota Association of Community Corrections Act Counties (MACCAC), and Minnesota Association of County Probation Officers (MACPO)
In December, CSG Justice Center staff facilitated the monthly MN Risk and Needs Assessment Working Group meeting, focusing on creating a more consistent approach around how clients are assessed statewide. The working group discussed developing a universal pre-screener using data from the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) validation study or utilizing Hennepin County's pre-screener, both of which would standardize assessments and create uniformity statewide. Discussions also explored the use of assessment instruments to address risk and needs specific to offense type while ensuring instruments are trauma-informed and gender-responsive. The need for a statewide policy framework to promote uniformity while allowing agencies the flexibility to adapt assessment instruments to their specific needs, was also highlighted during the meeting. Lastly, the working group discussed implementing a five-level model to standardize assessment cut-off scores and supervision levels across MN.
The next MN Risk and Needs Assessment Working Group is scheduled for January 15, 2025.
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