CJI staff worked with AK DOC to better understand their data systems and create a data request for the data needed to validate the state’s risk assessment tools (both the LSI-R and AK’s sex offender assessments).
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CJI staff worked with AK DOC to better understand their data systems and create a data request for the data needed to validate the state’s risk assessment tools (both the LSI-R and AK’s sex offender assessments). The data request was submitted, and we received the necessary data from DOC in June.
CJI staff worked with ADOC to prepare the necessary tools for certifying interrater reliability on the LSI-R, the risk assessment tool used by DPP and the institutions in AK. CJI staff wrote LSI-R scoring scenarios for community and institutional settings, and programmed a Qualtrics survey AK staff will use to practice scoring. In November, CJI collected and incorporated feedback from ADOC staff who reviewed the scenarios.
In December, CJI finalized both the scenarios and surveys, and sent both out to a select group of ADOC staff. Along with testing their inter-rater reliability, this small group of staff will help ensure the scenarios and surveys make sense with AK’s practices. In early 2017, the feedback from this small group will be incorporated, and finalized versions of the scenarios and surveys will be sent out to all staff.
In January, CJI staff continued to work with ADOC to prepare the necessary tools for assessing interrater reliability on the LSI-R, the risk assessment tool used by Department of Probation and Parole and institutions in AK. This month, feedback from ADOC LSI-R trainers was incorporated into the scenarios and surveys. CJI anticipates sending out finalized versions of the survey and scenario out to all staff this spring.
In February and March, CJI staff continued to work with ADOC to prepare the necessary tools for assessing interrater reliability on the LSI-R, the risk assessment tool used by Alaska’s Department of Probation and Parole (DPP). CJI worked with ADOC to incorporate the feedback from a select group of trainers who reviewed the scenario and survey, and then finalized the scenario and the survey POs will use to score the scenario.
CJI sent out the finalized versions of the survey and scenario to all Field POs in April. POs had two weeks to complete the survey, after which CJI pulled the data and began to analyze the results.
In May, CJI staff continued to work with Alaska Department of Corrections (ADOC) to assess staff interrater reliability on the LSI-R, the risk assessment tool used by probation and parole officers (POs) in Alaska. In previous months, CJI created a practice scenario and survey (used to score the scenario) and sent both out to all community POs. This month, CJI analyzed the results to see how closely staff scores aligned with each other and with the correct scores, and then complied that analysis into a report sent out to ADOC leadership. Along with helping to assess interrater reliability, the memo will help guide ADOC decide what aspects of scoring the LSI-R need to be emphasized more in trainings. (See “LSI-R Interrater Reliability Scoring Memo” attached.)
After receiving the IRR memo, ADOC leadership expressed curiosity about how each office performed on the assessment. In response, CJI looked at the results of the assessment by office to identify which performed the best in the activity and which struggled the most. Then, for the offices that struggled, CJI identified which sections of the LSI-R those in the office struggled with the most. This will allow ADOC to target training even more, as they now know specifically who struggles the most with the risk assessment tool, and which sections of the tool give them the most trouble.
CJI continued work on rolling out an IRR process with institutional case planning staff this month, to ensure institutional POs are scoring their risk assessment tool (the LSI-R) consistently and correctly. Staff finished completing the assessment in late February, so this month, CJI analyzed the results and created a memo outlining the results of the assessment and highlighting trouble areas for POs to really pay attention to when scoring.
CJI is preparing to deliver a LSI-R Train the Trainer to both community and institution POs in June so that a small group of POs can become trained trainers on administering the LSI-R. In preparation for that, CJI will work with DOC to administer further rounds of IRR for those who wish to become LSI-R trainers to determine which staff are the strongest at scoring the LSI-R. These rounds of IRR will take place in April and May, and this month, CJI prepared a work plan and materials for the activities.
In April, CJI staff prepared materials for the rounds of IRR and sent them out to participating staff. Participants will have until early May to complete the assessments, at which point CJI will use the results to decide which staff are best suited to become trainers, and which portions of the training to focus most on to improve staff scores.
In May, CJI pulled the results from the latest round of IRR on the LSI-R completed by a small group of community and facility POs. CJI analyzed the results to determine which participants were the strongest LSI-R scorers (and thus, the best candidates to become Trained Trainers in the LSI-R) as well as which areas of the assessment the group as a whole struggled with. Next month, CJI will deliver a Train the Trainer on using the LSI-R, focusing in particular on those areas of the assessment that the group struggled with.
CJI continues to work on the validation of AK’s LSI-R tool. Getting complete data from DOC has required repeated back and forth, but CJI received the remaining necessary data this month.
At the request of Director Fox, CJI is providing guidance to AK DOC about the process for getting the tool validated at the one-year mark. This month, CJI sent Director Fox a draft RFP for a consultant to conduct a validation, and they have begun moving it through the procurement process.
CJI completed the validation of Alaska’s LSI-R tool for both the institutions and community corrections. In December 2018, this report was shared with newly-appointed DPP Director Jennifer Winkelman. CJI has completed norming the risk levels for the LSI-R using Alaska data, and the report is going through the internal review process.
CJI is in the process of completing the validation analysis of Alaska’s LSI-SV and the validation reports for Alaska’s sex offender risk assessment tools (the STATIC and STABLE). All outstanding validation and norming reports will be finalized and shared with Alaska’s DPP Director in early January 2019.
CJI completed validation reports for each of Alaska’s risk/needs tools (LSI-R, LSI-RSV, STATIC-07, and STABLE-02R). Additionally, CJI completed a report on the norming of risk levels for the community and institutional populations informed by results of the validation studies. These reports were shared with DPP Director Jennifer Winkelman. Director Winkelman requested CJI’s assistance in using the results of the risk/needs assessment validation and norming reports to inform policy revisions. CJI facilitated an on-site strategic planning session for risk/needs assessment and case management policy revisions, focused on creating action plans to improve supervision practices for institutions and community supervision. Next steps were to include subgroup work on each section of the policy (risk/needs assessment and case management) based on the group’s action plans.
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