OFFENDER REENTRY: A PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGY

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OFFENDER REENTRY A PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGY
Court Support Services Division
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OFFENDER REENTRY IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY

• Probation Areas of Focus
• Manageable Caseloads
• Programs and Treatment
• Warrant Service

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OFFENDER REENTRY

• Strategies, programs and treatment that focus on
  preparing probationers to lead non-criminal lives
  in our local communities.

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REENTRY THROUGH PROBATION SUPERVISION

• There are approximately 57,000 offenders serving
  a term of probation.
• There are approximately 11,500 split sentence
  cases currently under probation supervision.
• In 2006, 5,400 offenders were placed on probation
  immediately following a period of incarceration.

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REENTRY SERVICESEFFECTIVENESS

• Research continues to demonstrate the importance
  of continuing supervision and treatment after an
  offender leaves prison in reducing recidivism
  (Simpson, et. al., 1999).

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RESEARCH FINDINGS CT PROBATION TRANSITION
PROGRAM (PTP)
SOURCE CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY 2006
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RESEARCH FINDINGSCT PROBATION TRANSITION
PROGRAM (PTP)
SOURCE CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY 2006
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MANAGEABLE CASELOADS
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COMMUNITY SUPERVISION

• Manageable caseloads when coupled with quality
  client engagement and evidence-based treatment
  have been correlated with reductions in
  recidivism (Taxman, 2006).

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WHAT IS AMANAGEABLE CASELOAD?
Manageable caseloads are determined by

• Who the probationer is
• What we are asking our officers to do with the
  probationer
• What we hope to accomplish

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THE CHANGING FOCUS OF PROBATION SUPERVISION

• Monitoring compliance with
• supervision conditions
• vs.
• Monitoring compliance AND
• facilitating behavior change

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COMPONENTS OF EVIDENCE-BASED SUPERVISION

• Assess risk, needs and strengths.
• Evaluate and enhance motivation to change.
• Target interventions.
• Facilitate pro-social behavior.
• Assess probationer improvement and behavior
  change.

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CONNECTICUT PROBATION OFFICER FOCUS GROUP

• Its not just about condition compliance, but
  addressing all client needs and issues. It takes
  much more time and energy.
• The goal is not only seeing clients, the goal is
  to change their circumstances that contribute to
  their criminal behavior.

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PRESENT CASELOAD STANDARDS
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CURRENT CASELOAD STANDARDS THE PROBLEM

• Caseloads reaching these levels make it
  extremely difficult to work individually with
  probationers to change behavior.

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NON-INTENSIVE OFFICERS EXCEEDING CURRENT
CASELOAD STANDARDS

• Total Supervision Officers 272
• Number Exceeding Standard 194
• Percent Exceeding Standard 71

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CASELOAD REDUCTION OUTCOMES

• Lower recidivism
• Reduced violations
• Decreased victimization
• Reduced incarceration

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EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY SUPERVISION

• Manageable caseloads when coupled with quality
  client engagement and evidence-based treatment
  have been correlated with reductions in
  recidivism (Taxman, 2006).

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OFFENDER TREATMENT AND PROGRAMS
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TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS

• For nearly 20 years sound research on the effects
  of correctional treatment programs have
  consistently demonstrated positive effects on
  reduction of re-offending (Lipsey, etal, 1998).

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PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

• The US Surgeon General, after an extensive
  survey of existing research concluded that well
  run correctional interventions and services for
  violent offenders are effective (US Surgeon
  General, 2001).

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SPECIFIC PROGRAMEFFECTIVENESS

• Washingtons adult corrections system will be
  more successful in reducing recidivism rates if
  policy focuses on proven evidence-based
  approaches (Washington State Institute for
  Public Policy, 2006).
• Some Examples ( Reduction in Recidivism)
• Intensive Supervision and Treatment (21.9)
• Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (8.2-31.2)
• Drug Treatment in the Community (12.4)

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CONNECTICUT EVALUATION

• The results show that offenders who have high
  attendance at treatment sessions have lower
  arrests. (Bogue, 2007).

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JUDICIAL BRANCH PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

• A significant network of programs exists, with
  challenges
• Geographical area service gaps
• Wait lists for services
• 508 clients on residential treatment wait list
  (11-27-2007)
• Significant increase in Behavioral Health
  Services Referrals over the past 2 years

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PROGRAM ANDTREATMENT NEEDS

• Transitional and Supportive Housing
• Mental Health Services
• Intensive Outpatient Drug Treatment
• Domestic Violence Programs
• Sex Offender Services
• In total the program expansion recommendations
  could serve up to 3,000 offenders annually.

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WARRANT SERVICE
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PROBATION SANCTIONS

• Sanctions for probation violations are more
  likely to be effective when they are prompt,
  consistent, and proportionate to the violation
  severity (Carey, 2005).
• Graduated Sanctions
• Violation of Probation Warrants

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VIOLATION OF PROBATION WARRANT SERVICE DATA

• Warrants served annually 8,977
• Present un-served warrants 6,228
• 70 percent of these warrants are more than one
  year old
• Extensive field investigation required for many
  warrants

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UNSERVED WARRANTS POTENTIAL IMPACT

• Undermines system integrity
• Offenders are not being supervised
• Re-offending behavior may continue

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WARRANT SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS

• Establish and staff Regional Probation Warrant
  Units.
• Legislative initiatives
• Detention of wanted persons
• On-site arrest for violation of probation
• Partnerships with federal and state agencies

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A PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGY

• Reduce probation caseloads
• Increase targeted treatment and specialized
  services
• Improve warrant service

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COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF THE THREE-PRONGED
APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY

• Increased Satisfactory Completion of Probation
  Supervision
• Reduction in Probation Violation
• Reduction in Recidivism
• Reduction in Prison and Jail Overcrowding
• Cost Effectiveness