Priority Area 1: Establish a Quality Improvement Unit within the Wyoming Department of Corrections.
Background: Wyoming’s Justice Reinvestment legislation, HEA 0062, requires a QI Unit to be created within the Department of Corrections to monitor the administration and use of substance use disorder assessments. This legislation supports hiring and training staff for the QI Unit, the development of policies and procedures specifically related to the assessment process, and training for personnel in both the WDOC and WDH who will be working within the newly developed QI policies.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff wrapped up formal technical assistance in March; however, the state continued to make progress in April in finalizing policy and procedures for the QI Unit and in setting up the pilot for the initial QI Unit process with the providers that completed assessments.
Priority Area 2: Develop standardized, evidence-based treatment guidelines and practices for substance use treatment and programming for people in the criminal justice system.
Background: During the earlier part of Phase II, CSG Justice Center staff completed an assessment of community providers’ treatment practices throughout the state. The assessment found that there were inconsistent practices statewide that could contribute to varying outcomes and costs for clients. To improve consistency, HEA 0062 requires a set of standards to be developed for programs delivering substance use disorder and behavioral health services.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff wrapped up formal technical assistance in March; however, the biweekly meetings with the WDOC, WDH, and Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (WAMHSAC) staff continue.
Priority Area 3: Expand the sharing and acceptance of substance use disorder, mental health, and co-occurring assessment results between providers and WDOC.
Background: The assessment process completed by CSG Justice Center staff in the initial part of Phase II found that there was a hesitancy, or outright refusal, among some community providers to accept substance use assessments completed by other entities. The new behavioral health legislation, HEA 0062, addresses this with the requirement to improve the portability and acceptance of assessments across the state.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff wrapped up formal technical assistance in March; however, DOC and WDH continued to work with providers in April to identify what is needed to complete the in-reach process that will make the transition from correctional institution to community provider as efficient as possible without duplicative efforts.
Priority Area 4: Create a separate contract or separate provisions in the existing contract between WDH and the regional behavioral health providers to ensure consistency and improve outcomes for people in the criminal justice system.
Background: Current contract standards with community providers are compliance based. With the requirements of HEA 0062, there will need to be adjustments to the contracting procedure to allow for greater monitoring and oversight by the QI Unit and to ensure consistency among practices within community providers.
Update: Wyoming remains in a holding pattern while the legislature reviews the current state of the budget and what the upcoming fiscal year may require as the state continues to respond to reductions in revenue.
Priority Area 5: Develop data tracking measures.
Background: As part of Justice Reinvestment implementation, states are required to identify and submit regular data tracking metrics to the CSG Justice Center to capture the progress of both the original 4 pieces of legislation, HEA 53, SEA 19, SEA 20, and HB 45, as well as the newest piece of legislation, HEA 0062.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff continue to receive monthly data submissions from WDOC.
Priority Area 6: Continue to assist the state with monitoring progress, collecting data, tracking outcomes, and addressing challenges with implementation of the priorities associated with HEA 53, SEA 19, SEA 20, and HEA 45.
Background: From March 2019 to March 2020, CSG Justice Center staff completed several implementation projects associated with Wyoming’s first four Justice Reinvestment bills (enacted in February 2019). These included the implementation of the PRISM incentives and sanction system, the use of 90-day sanctions, the use of substance use treatment and cognitive behavioral programming in jails and prisons, the use of early discharge from supervision and capping the length of supervision, and the impact of the expansion of victim compensation periods. Active technical assistance on these projects has wound down, but CSG Justice Center staff continue to monitor their progress and outcomes.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff continue to monitor monthly data submissions to track the progress being made under the initial Justice Reinvestment legislation.
Priority Area 7: Engage and educate Wyoming stakeholders on Justice Reinvestment legislation to promote oversight and sustainability.
Background: The Joint Judiciary Committee approved legislation to monitor the implementation of Justice Reinvestment legislation for the first part of Phase II (HEA 53, SEA 19, SEA 20, and HB 45). Additionally, the Joint Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee will receive annual updates on the newly passed behavioral health legislation through 2023.
Update: In March, CSG Justice Center staff wrapped up formal technical assistance; however, in April CSG Justice Center staff shared a wrap-up report with the state on the initial findings of JR.
On April 29, 2021, CSG Justice Center staff discussed the initial findings from JR policies with leadership from the Department of Corrections and the Department of Health.
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4/7: Call with Administrator (Field Services, Department of Corrections (WDOC)), to discuss questions related to TA wrap up and findings from the initial data analyses.
4/9: Call with Research Manager (Department of Corrections (WDOC)) to discuss Wyoming PRISM system data to help CSG Justice Center understand the context of the data system that captures the incentives and sanctions system for DOC.
4/29: Call with Director (Department of Corrections (WDOC)) and two additional WDOC staff, Director (Wyoming Department of Health (WDH)), and three additional staff to discuss the wrap up report that CSG Justice Center staff developed to close out Phase II of Justice Reinvestment that included a summary of the TA provided by CSG Justice Center as well as initial data analyses of the impact of JR policies on the state.
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