Report 2021-113 Recommendation 16 Responses
Report 2021-113: Batterer Intervention Programs: State Guidance and Oversight Are Needed to Effectively Reduce Domestic Violence (Release Date: October 2022)
Recommendation #16 To: Alameda County Probation Department
To ensure that the courts can provide an offender with a selection of available program providers and their costs before the offender agrees to attend a program as a condition of probation, Alameda Probation should maintain standard program fee information and sliding fee scales for each of the providers it oversees, and make this information available to the courts by April 2023.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2024
The Department compiled a spreadsheet of BIP providers which includes sliding fee scales for each of the providers it oversees. This information was emailed to the Courts on September 30, 2024. The email was sent to the Presiding Judge, other Court staff, Public Defender and District Attorney. The email and spreadsheet will be emailed separately.
- Completion Date: October 2024
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented
Although Alameda Probation has made significant progress in maintaining standard program fee information and sliding fee scales for each of the providers it oversees, and it has made this information available to the court, we found that the fee scales do not fully comply with state law. State law requires offenders to pay a nominal fee for the program and it only allows a court to waive an offender's program fee. Alameda Probation's fee scales indicate that some programs have $0 fee options. Therefore, until the program fee information clearly indicates that only a court can waive the program fee, we will continue to evaluate this recommendation as partially implemented.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
1-Year Agency Response
The Department compiled a spreadsheet of BIP providers which includes standard program fee information and sliding fee scales for each of the providers it oversees. This information was emailed to the Courts on October 16, 2023. The email was sent to the Presiding Judge, other Court staff, Public Defender and District Attorney. The email and spreadsheet will be emailed separately.
- Completion Date: October 2023
- Response Date: October 2023
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending
Although Alameda Probation provided the court with a list of program providers and a range of fees, we found that the list only contains a high-level range of fees, which does not provide enough detail for an offender to identify their cost per session based on their income. Additionally, for one of its providers, it only lists one fee per session, indicating that the provider does not have a sliding fee scale. Until Alameda Probation demonstrates that it maintains sliding fee scales for each of its providers and it makes those fee scales available to the courts, we will continue to report this recommendation as not fully implemented.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
60-Day Agency Response
The Department is compiling a spreadsheet of providers, meeting times/days, and fees to share with the Courts.
- Estimated Completion Date: 10/18/23
- Response Date: August 2023
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
6-Month Agency Response
The Department is compiling a spreadsheet of providers, meeting times/days, and fees to share with the Courts.
- Estimated Completion Date: 10/18/23
- Response Date: August 2023
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2021-113
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.