Report 2010-124 Recommendations and Responses in 2013-041

Report 2010-124: Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: The Benefits of Its Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions Program Are Uncertain

Department Number of Years Reported As Not Fully Implemented Total Recommendations to Department Not Implemented After One Year Not Implemented as of 2012-041 Response Not Implemented as of Most Recent Response
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 2 7 5 5 5

Recommendation To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

To ensure that the State does not spend additional resources on COMPAS while its usefulness is uncertain, Corrections should suspend its use of the COMPAS core and reentry assessments until it has issued regulations and updated its operations manual to define how Corrections' use of COMPAS will affect decision making regarding inmates, such as clarifying how COMPAS results will be considered when sending inmates to different prison facilities, enrolling them in rehabilitative programs to address their criminal risk factors, and developing expectations for those on parole.

Response

California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Section 3375.6, Automated Needs Assessment was adopted into law effective January 15, 2013.

Recommendation To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

To ensure that the State does not spend additional resources on COMPAS while its usefulness is uncertain, Corrections should suspend its use of the COMPAS core and reentry assessments until it has demonstrated to the Legislature that it has a plan to measure and report COMPAS's effect on reducing recidivism. Such a plan could consider whether inmates enrolled in a rehabilitative program based on a COMPAS assessment had lower recidivism rates than those provided rehabilitative programming as a result of non-COMPAS factors.

Response

In the 2012 Outcome Evaluation Report, CDCR reported recidivism rates for the following groups: 1) those who received substance abuse treatment in prison, 2) those who received substance abuse treatment in aftercare, 3) those who received both in-prison and aftercare substance abuse treatment, 4) those who did not receive substance abuse treatment, 5) those who had a COMPAS substance abuse need and received substance abuse treatment in prison, 6) those who had a COMPAS substance abuse need and received substance abuse treatment in aftercare, 7) those who had a COMPAS substance abuse need and received substance abuse treatment in prison and aftercare, 8) those who had a COMPAS substance abuse need and did not receive substance abuse treatment, and 9) those who did not have a COMPAS substance abuse need or were not assessed.

CDCR plans to add a comparison of recidivism rates for individuals with a COMPAS need who received substance abuse treatment vs. those who received treatment but did not have a COMPAS need to the recidivism report which is compiled after we transition our data to SOMS.

Recommendation To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

Once Corrections resumes its use of COMPAS core and reentry assessments, it should provide ongoing training to classification staff representatives, parole agents, and others that may administer or interpret COMPAS assessment results to ensure that COMPAS is a valuable inmate assessment and planning tool.

Response

In April 2013, statewide T4T training was provided to designated institutional staff who provide periodic training at the institutional/unit level.

Recommendation To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

Once Corrections resumes its use of COMPAS core and reentry assessments, it should develop practices or procedures to periodically determine whether its staff are using COMPAS core or reentry assessments as intended. Such a process might include performing periodic site visits to corroborate that COMPAS is being used as required.

Response

With the implementation of the latest release of COMPAS version 8 on May 10, 2013, CDCR is able to monitor staff activity within the Northpointe Software Suite including the number of assessments, completion of assessments, timeliness of assessments, and adherence to departmental directives.

Currently, CDCR distributes a weekly report to each institution, indicating the number of completed COMPAS Core assessments during the week and the percentage of eligible offenders who have received an assessment. Additionally, CDCR distributes a monthly report to each institution listing all eligible offenders who have not received a COMPAS Core assessment.

With the implementation of this new technology, CDCR is able to conduct "virtual" site visits and able to corroborate COMPAS is being used as required. Also, CDCR, in partnership with the University of California San Diego, is developing a fidelity tool which will include a site review. Part of the fidelity tool will evaluate the administration of the assessment and its adherence to established protocols.

CDCR will continually monitor and evaluate the data as we continue to move forward with rehabilitative efforts.

Recommendation To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

Once Corrections resumes its use of COMPAS core and reentry assessments, it should develop practices or procedures to periodically compare the demand for certain rehabilitative programs, as suggested by a COMPAS core assessment, to the existing capacity to treat such needs.

Response

The current contract capacities for Cognitive Behavioral Treatment were developed using the criminogenic needs that were identified through the COMPAS assessment results.

On March 20, 2013, and September 20, 2013, CDCR revised the COMPAS exclusionary criteria to include more inmates in the assessment process. The Division of Rehabilitative Programs will review the COMPAS needs results to determine adjustment in the statewide capacities for Substance Abuse Treatment, Criminal Thinking, Anger Management and Family Relationships when developing the new contracts which will begin on July 1, 2015. CDCR has programs in all institutional levels and will be able to adjust program capacities based on identified needs by specific levels of inmates.

CDCR shall also use COMPAS assessment results in the development of other treatment programs beyond the Blueprint requirements.

Current Status of Recommendations

All Recommendations in 2013-041