In May, CSG Justice Center staff continued to socialize the guidelines and engage key partners in the field, conduct screening consultations for new technical assistance (TA) requests, provide TA to selected states, collaborate with stakeholders around topics for the second virtual peer session taking place in June, and further identify project next steps. Throughout the month, the project team worked on opportunities to advance communication of the project and coordinate conference presentations.
CSG Justice Center staff held a call with the senior policy advisor at BJA to discuss updates about each TA state, upcoming presentation and conference attendance, and upcoming and current items under BJA review. BJA requested an update on TA requests received and the project team will develop a form to provide requests for BJA review. In May, the project team received approval of a Grant Adjustment Modification (GAM) for moving forward with adding a new consultant to the project.
CSG Justice Center staff also held a call with Montana Department of Corrections (MT DOC) to provide a project overview and discuss potential TA opportunities based on their needs. The MT DOC team was interested in discussing interrater reliability and fidelity. The project team also recommended that MT DOC complete the self-assessment tool to provide an overview of their current alignment with implementing the national guidelines. The MT DOC team will share some additional information and a follow-up call will be scheduled in a few weeks.
The project team connected with the point of contact for the National Association of Probation Executives (NAPE) and after discussion, the upcoming presentation was pushed back again due to changes in NAPE's leadership. The additional time will allow more communication to their members to have a greater number of attendees and more time to disseminate information. The new date is set for July 18, 2024.
Lastly, the project team finalized dates for the next two virtual peer meeting sessions. This series began in March 2024 and is open to current TA participants for the national guidelines project. The second session is set for June 26 and will discuss the topics of race equity and overrides. The third session is set for August 8, featuring the lead writer of the national guidelines and will focus on validation.
Technical Assistance (TA) States:
Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS)
In May, the project team was told of three applications submitted to re-validate the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS). Per a request from MPS, the project team and the expert consultant of the guidelines will meet on June 4 with the state team to discuss the applications and provide a recommendation on the final choice.
Due to scheduling difficulties, the project team continues to work with MPS to schedule the remaining focus group meetings in June with the other 3 jurisdictions, including line-level probation officers and a discussion centered on the strengths and limitations of the ORAS instrument, along with the challenges associated with administering the assessment and implementing the results through case planning.
The next full working group meeting will take place on June 26.
Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC), Minnesota Association of Community Corrections Act Counties (MACCAC), and Minnesota Association of County Probation Officers (MACPO)
In May, CSG Justice Center staff attended Minnesota's Corrections Services Technology Solutions (CSTS) working group meeting with representatives from MN DOC, MACCAC, and MACPO, where the CSTS Data Committee discussed their current project to enable recidivism reporting for CSTS clients, starting with individual agencies and potentially expanding to statewide reporting. Initially, agencies will run recidivism reports for their clients, using search filters or importing Excel lists of client IDs. This process will replicate existing recidivism reporting practices from Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, utilizing Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS) data integration.
Also in May, CSG Justice Center staff conducted a site visit with MN DOC, MACCAC, and MACPO in St. Paul, MN. During the site visit, CSG Justice Center staff observed agent/client interactions, attended the MN CSAC Committee Meeting, and hosted an in-person combined MN Phase II working group meeting with updates from the project team. CSG Justice Center staff also observed several case planning sessions to improve supervision practices. The verbal informed consent script, read before each appointment, explained the observer's role, assured confidentiality, and sought permission from the clients. Appointments observed included ongoing skill practice, initial case planning, new transfer/intake, and engagement sessions. Observers adhered to best practices, remaining silent, maintaining a neutral demeanor, and avoiding documentation of any identifying or personal information. Key interventions and techniques were noted using a Probation Observation form. A probation agent from MN DOC had several appointments throughout the day, while a second probation agent from MN DOC conducted engagement sessions. CSG Justice Center staff provided key feedback to each agent and their supervisor, the District Supervisor from Center City District at MN DOC, upon completion of each observation.
Due to the combined in-person working group meeting and limited availability of all parties, there was no additional virtual monthly working group meeting for May. The next working group meeting is set for June 3, 2024.
New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJ DOC)
In May, the NJ DOC TA Team confirmed they will attend the upcoming virtual peer meeting session in June.
The research partner for NJ DOC shared a scope of work and cost quotes for (1) WRNA Training and (2) WRNA Interrater Reliability and Predictive Validity Studies for both the Institutional and Pre-Release versions with the Director of the Office of Compliance and Strategic Planning at NJ DOC. These costs are estimates based on the information currently known, however the research partner is awaiting additional information, particularly regarding the Validation study, including understanding challenges to extracting, securing, or cleaning data, or data availability. The project team connected with the research partner, and are awaiting a response from NJ DOC.
The project team is awaiting updates regarding next steps for hiring staff to conduct the assessments, having a technology platform to collect the assessment results, and upcoming meetings. The project team is following up in June.
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