Report 2021-113 Recommendation 21 Responses

Report 2021-113: Batterer Intervention Programs: State Guidance and Oversight Are Needed to Effectively Reduce Domestic Violence (Release Date: October 2022)

Recommendation #21 To: Contra Costa 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, Contra Costa 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

In reviewing the Contra Costa County's Probation Department Batterer Intervention Program roster, it was noted improvements could be applied. Therefore, the roster was updated and now includes more detail on fee scales, location of classes, whether they are virtual or in-person, hyperlinks to the referral email addresses, hyperlinks to the program websites if applicable and a hyperlink to the Federal Government Poverty Guidelines website, which is the basis for the BIP sliding fee scales. As noted in the "Standards for Batterer's Intervention Program Application and Renewal Requirements" form, the program providers are to submit their fee policies, to include their sliding scale fees, at time of application for certification or recertification. Additionally, a review of the program's fee policies is completed during the on-site visit. It should be noted, the updated BIP roster is on the Contra Costa County Probation Department website and has been forwarded to the Contra Costa County Superior Court for posting. Supporting documentation has been provided.

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

Although Contra Costa Probation maintains 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 continues to provide an option for a $0 fee, which does not comply with state law that requires programs to charge offenders a nominal fee and only allows the court to waive such fee. Until Contra Costa Probation demonstrates that it maintains detailed sliding fee scales for each of its providers and it makes those detailed fee scales available to the courts, we will continue to report this recommendation as not fully implemented.

1-Year Agency Response

Below is a hyperlink with a list of all program providers that Contra Costa Probation overseas. Outlined in this list are the services provided and sliding fee information. This hyperlink is accessible to the public on the Contra Costa County website. This was last updated on May 31, 2023.

https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/78966/CCC-BIP-Provider-Roster-Updated-On-53123?bidId=

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

Although Contra Costa Probation maintains 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 as state law requires. Until Contra Costa 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 not continue to report this recommendation as not fully implemented.

6-Month Agency Response

As previously reported, on November 17, 2022, Contra Costa Probation held a BIP provider's meeting and advised each provider who has not already done so to submit their sliding scale by their next annual recertification deadline. Timeframes vary depending on the provider's annual anniversary date.

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

60-Day Agency Response

On November 17, 2022, Contra Costa Probation held a BIP provider's meeting and advised each provider who has not already done so to submit their sliding scale by their next annual recertification deadline. Timeframes vary depending on the provider's annual anniversary date.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2021-113

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.