Research Based Practices for Field Services

1. Research Based Practices for Field Services Minnesota State University December 5, 2001

2. Introduction • For Minnesota’s correctional services to achieve consistent, result-based outcomes across the state, benchmarks need to be set and achieved for field service practices • To begin setting benchmarks, eight “Best Practices” have been developed

3. Eight Best Practices 1. Automated and Validated Risk Tool 2. Cognitive/Behavioral Programming 3. Case Plans 4. Restorative Justice 5. Primary Services 6. Supervision Workload Standards 7. Transition/Aftercare Services 8. Outcome Measures

4. Automated & Validated Risk Tools

5. Automated & Validated Risk Tools • Description: • The newest generation of risk/need tool is validated based on actuarial methods • Identifies key factors that predict recidivism • Lends itself to supervision levels and intervention strategies • Recommended Practice: • Every felon, personal gross misdemeanant and misdemeanant should have a risk tool applied. This tool should be consistent state-wide and offenders should be re-assessed every six-months. Other risk and need tools should be used as deemed appropriate.

6. Automated & Validated Risk Tools • You know it when you see…. • The use of a common risk/need tool(s) that identifies dynamic criminogenic needs • Specialized tools for unique populations such as female, domestic violence, and sex offenders • Tools are culturally specific • The tool is used to determine supervision level and techniques

7. YLS/CMI Sub-Scales • Prior and Current Offenses and Dispositions • Family/Parenting • Education/Employment • Peer Relations • Substance Abuse • Leisure/Recreation • Personal/Behavior • Attitudes/Orientation

8. LSI-R Sub-Scales • Criminal History • Education/Employment • Financial • Family/Marital • Accommodations • Leisure/Recreation • Companions

9. LSI-R Sub-Scales • Alcohol/Drug Problems • Emotional/Personal • Attitudes/Orientation

10. CLIENT RISK MANAGEMENT - ADULTS

11. CLIENT RISK MANAGEMENT - ADULTS

12. CLIENT RISK MANAGEMENT - ADULTS

13. Cognitive/Behavioral Programming

14. Cognitive/Behavioral Programming • Description: • Offenders often possess cognitive patterns that predispose them to committing crime (i.e., rigid thinking, poor problem solving skills, lack of empathy, etc.) • Cognitive/behavioral programming provides cognitive restructuring, thinking skills, and life skills • It helps offender re-examine values, understand consequences to holding certain beliefs, and give him/her a skill set to handle conflict and attain personal goals • Recommended Practice: • All appropriate adult and juvenile high-risk offenders will be referred to a cognitive/behavioral class

15. Cognitive/Behavioral Programming • You know it when you see… • The offering of three forms of programming (cog restructuring, cog skill building, and life skills) • Groups that are more intense and last longer for higher risk offenders • Responsivity/matching • Forethought to gender and cultural specific needs • Quality control mechanisms put in place including, but not limited to, peer review, taped sessions, use of an outside consultant, support groups, etc.

16. Case Plans

17. Case Plans • Description: • Case plans ensure that case managers channel a sundry of information and diverse mission objections into a purposeful interaction • Case plans target the purpose of supervision and hold the offender and staff accountable • Case plans should be written, time and goal-driven, realistic and dynamic in nature • Recommended Practice: • Each high-risk offender will have a completed case plan, incorporating the core supervision objectives and conducted through motivational interviewing techniques

18. Case Plans • You will know it when you see… • Structured plans developed for every higher risk offender • Plans that take into account both risk reduction and restoration objectives • Plans that are clear, written, concise, realistic, measurable, and specific • An emphasis on building developmental assets and strength-based approaches • Plans that allow for parent, victim, and community involvement and signature when appropriate • The use of motivational interviewing techniques in the development of the plan

19. INCREASING MOTIVATION TO CHANGE: PERMANENT EXIT (EVENTUALLY) Maintenance (Skills to maintain support with relapse) Action (Doing something i.e. treatment) Pre-Contemplation Clueless) Determination ENTER HERE Status Quo Change Contemplation (“yes but...”) TEMPORARY EXIT BY: Prochaska & Diclemente

20. The Risk Principle • Duration, level and intensity of service should be dependent on the level of risk posed by the client • The positive effects of treatment are greater among high risk offenders than lower risk offenders • In fact, recidivism rates increase among low risk offenders with increased services

21. The Need principle • Focus the target of intervention on “criminogenic needs”or those factors that predict future criminal conduct

22. The Reponsivity Principle • General: Behavioral, Cognitive Behavioral, structured social learning • Specific Considerations: • Level of Psychological Development (cognitive/interpersonal) • Anxiety, Psychopathy & Motivation • Gender, Age, Ethnicity/Race

23. Setting Up a Case Plan The Big Four • Anti-Social Behaviors (History) • Anti-Social Beliefs • Anti-Social Peers • Anti-Social Personality Patterns

24. SAQI • S - Strongly Related to Criminal Behavior • A - Alterable • Q - Quick (How quickly can the issue be addressed?) • I - Inter-Related (Will fixing one problem fix others?)

25. Restorative Justice

26. Restorative Justice • Description • Restorative justice asks: • What was the harm? • What is needed to repair the harm? • Who is responsible for the repair? • Restorative justice focuses on three stakeholders (community, victim, and offender) • Offenders are held accountable by understanding the harm and “making things right” to the degree possible • Recommended Practice • Restorative justice techniques are available to all appropriate cases

27. Restorative Justice • You know it when you see… • An emphasis on repairing harm • A balanced approach to accountability (victims), competency development (offenders) and public safety (community) • Participation by all stakeholders • Victim-offender face-to-face dialogue • Victim impact and empathy classes • Community courts • Crime repay crews

28. Primary Services

29. Primary Services • Description: • Certain correctional services are considered the coreof an efficient and effective justice system • These primary services should be available no matter the location of the jurisdiction, the relative availability of regional funding or the type of correctional delivery system • Recommended Practice: • Each jurisdiction should have available those services listed as primary and core in the 1994 Probation Standards Task Force Report

30. Primary Services • You know it when you see…. (examples) • Pre-sentence and pre-adjudication investigations • Specialized assessment services • Chemical dependency and urinalysis services • Sex offender services • Work crews • Intensive supervision • Domestic abuse investigations and services • Volunteers • Mental health programming

31. Supervision Workload Standards

32. Supervision Workload Standards • Description: • Current caseload and workload sizes vary across the state • Most jurisdictions measure workload differently, thereby making comparisons difficult to determine • Workload standards provide better opportunity to measure outcomes based on changing workload

33. Supervision Workload Standards • Recommended Practice: • Each jurisdiction should report workload size using similar reporting mechanisms. Until a specific workload method is developed, the following should be applied as maximum caseloads per agent: IntensiveSpecialHighMed. LowAdmin. Adults 15 40 60 100 300 1000 Juveniles 10 NA 25 35 100 NA

34. Supervision Workload Standards • You know it when you see… • Caseloads and workloads at a level whereby probation staff can apply research-proven practices that meet public safety and other mission objectives • Intensive agents partnering with law enforcement officers and conducting ride-alongs • Probation staff participating in the community policing meetings with the public, block clubs, etc. • Juvenile probation staff located in the schools working with school personnel to apply offender interventions, academic improvement activities, and prevention

35. Transition/Aftercare Services

36. Transition/Aftercare Services • Description • Transition/aftercare services are key methods to ensure successful integration back into the community and serve as a way of preserving the financial investment already made in the offender • Effective transitional/aftercare services involve: • case management • the start of release planning at the point of entry into residential programming • assessment services • collaboration with multiple agencies • mentoring • highly structured environments • restorative programming

37. Transition/Aftercare Services • Recommended Practices: • Transitional planning starts at the time of intake. A written plan that incorporates effective practices is developed prior to release. Case management services follow for a minimum of 90 days

38. Transition/Aftercare Services • You know it when you see… • The intentional creation of seamless services from residential to field supervision • Case managers planning for transition from the point of initial placement • Comprehensive assessment services • Linkages with mentors and community support • Collaboration with multiple community-based agencies

39. Outcome Measures

40. Outcome Measures • Description: • Todetermine if existing practice is producing intended results, the agency mission must be clear and measurements developed • Data is needed for policymakers and funders to know how to effectively contribute toward intended results • Each jurisdiction needs to have a consistent and core set of measured outcomes in order for funding to be successfully applied • The 1998 Outcome Measurement Task Force identified a set of core objectives and measurements to be collected in each correctional jurisdiction

41. Outcome Measures • Minimum Standards: • Each correctional jurisdiction should report outcome data as identified by the 1998 Outcome Measurement Task Force

42. Outcome Measures • You will know it when you see… • Measurable results that tie directly to the agency’s goals • Highly visible and accountable measures reported • An information system that includes data fields on all three stakeholders (offender, victim, community) • The use of surveys to determine how external stakeholders view services • Funding and policy development tied to results • Consistent reporting on core outcomes for all 87 counties