Report 2011-129 Recommendation 11 Responses

Report 2011-129: Juvenile Justice Realignment: Limited Information Prevents a Meaningful Assessment of Realignment's Effectiveness (Release Date: September 2012)

Recommendation #11 To: State and Community Corrections, Board of

To assist the Legislature in its effort to revise state law to specify the intended goals of juvenile justice realignment, the board should work with stakeholders to propose performance outcome goals to use to measure the success of realignment.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2015

This is precisely what the JJDWG has done by submitting its recommendations to the BSCC in its April 1, 2015 report. As noted in Recommendation #1, the recommendations in the Report have not been approved as stakeholders work towards consensus.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2014

The new JJDWG, which will begin meeting on October 9, 2014, is comprised of stakeholders representing a variety of disciplines and jurisdictions. Since the work group is required to review YOBG reporting requirements, we expect their work will help shape future performance outcome goals.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2013

Please refer to our one-year response.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

Please refer to the one-year response assessment.

1-Year Agency Response

In establishing the new JJSC, broad county representation was a high priority and the final, approved membership reflects that. The JJSC began meeting in April and has begun to review the data collection and reporting requirements for YOBG. We expect the work of the JJSC to help shape future performance outcome goals.

CSA's vision of BSCC's role relative to YOBG reporting relies upon an assumption of responsibility that far exceeds the legislative mandate. Although BSCC now has a mandate to provide leadership for statewide realignment efforts, that only came into effect as of July 1, 2012, when the audit was nearly concluded.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: No Action Taken

Given the importance of performance outcome goals in defining the success or failure of realignment, we would expect the JJSC's work to include developing such goals. In addition, the board's response regarding its role relative to block grant reporting is troubling and short-sighted. Regardless of the effective date of the law, because the board is the only state administering body referenced in the law that realigned juvenile offenders, we would expect that its annual reports would give the Legislature and the public the information with which to make an assessment of realignment outcomes. Further, if the board continues to insist that its responsibilities to provide leadership relative to realignment began in July 2012, when our audit was nearly complete, we are confused as to why the board has not taken steps to provide more leadership in the over one year it has had this responsibility.

6-Month Agency Response

The BSCC indicated that the JJSC will review and revise the data collection and reporting requirements for YOBG, including performance outcome goals.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The board did not address this recommendation in its response. (See 2013-406, p. 232)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: No Action Taken

All Recommendations in 2011-129

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.