Strategic plan 2020-2023

Strategic Plan FY 2020 - FY 2023 Georgia Department of Community Supervision

Mission

As an integral part of the criminal justice system, the Department of Community Supervision protects and serves all Georgia citizens through effective and efficient offender supervision in Georgia communities while providing opportunities for successful outcomes.

Vision

The Department of Community Supervision will become the national leader for innovative and progressive community supervision; we will accomplish this by: - Embracing best and next evidence-based practices - Utilizing an integrated approach to improve offender behavior - Effectively coordinating between all concerned stakeholders - Ensuring victims' voices are heard and victim rights protected

Values

- Accountability - Integrity - Selfless Service - Teamwork - Personal and Professional Development

Goal

Measurable Objective

Strategy

M.O. 1 - Increase the number of officers trained in ESP from 75% in FY 2019 to Strategy 1 - Implement a regional plan for training officers that have not completed the ESP

100% by FY 2021

program

Goal 1 Deliver Efficient and Effective Community Supervision

M.O. 2 - Decrease officer caseload size from 109 in FY 2019 to 100 by FY 2022
M.O. 3 - Increase the time officers have to spend with supervisees. A baseline will need to be determined to establish a specific measurable objective.

Strategy 2 - Continue deploying court specialists
Strategy 3 - Monitor and track implementation of SB 174
Strategy 4 - Introduce 'Video Interactions' as a convenient option for officers and individuals under supervision to communicate
Strategy 5 - Develop a 'Virtual Circuit' for non-sworn staff to assume certain administrative tasks previously performed by officers

Goal 2 Increase Opportunities for Rehabilitative Services

M.O. 4 - Increase the DRC graduation rate from 36% in FY 2019 to 40% by FY 2021

Strategy 6 - Develop and implement a `Response Plan' to findings from UGA's DRC Evaluation

M.O. 5 - Increase the availability of cognitive-based programming from 12 circuits in FY 2020 to all 49 circuits by FY 2023.

Strategy 7 - Conduct an internal `Time Study' of counselors to assess whether their time is best utilized for addressing criminogenic needs and supporting the overall mission of DCS

M.O. 6 - Increase the supervisee employment rate from 50% in FY 2020 to 60% Strategy 8 - Establish partnerships with vocational programs for resource linkage to job training

by FY 2022

and employment opportunities

Goal 3 Strengthen the DCS Workforce

M.O. 7 - Increase the percentage of DCS employees trained in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) from 30% in FY 2019 to 100% by FY 2022

Strategy 9 - Implement a state-wide training program to ensure every employee receives TIC

M.O. 8 - Decrease the overall agency turnover rate from 14.6% in FY 2019 to 12.5% by FY 2021

Strategy 10 - Develop and implement a robust Health & Wellness initiative designed to assist employees in overcoming difficult circumstances

Goal 4 Utilize Data-Driven Decision Making

M.O. 9 - Deploy an `Executive Dashboard' by the end of FY 2021
M.O. 10 - Increase the number of available metrics to stakeholders from 23 in FY 2020 to 50 by FY 2022

Strategy 11 - Enhance the current needs assessment tool to categorize offenders' needs and record progress on addressing those needs to ensure DCS is adhering to evidence-based supervision strategies
Strategy 12 - Develop and deploy an internal 'Executive Dashboard' for displaying critical performance metrics
Strategy 13 - Participate in the multi-agency 'Justice Reinvestment Initiative' data repository hosted by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC)
Strategy 14 - Launch a research and data section on the DCS website for sharing agency information through interactive dashboards and statistical reports

Strategy and Goal

Strategy Description

Status

1

Strategy 1 (Goal 1) Enhanced Supervision Program (ESP)
Strategy 2 (Goal 1) Court Specialists
Strategy 3 (Goal 1) SB 174 Implementation
Strategy 4 (Goal 1) Video Interactions
Strategy 5 (Goal 1) Virtual Judicial Circuit
Strategy 6 (Goal 2) Response Plan to DRC Evaluation
Strategy 7 (Goal 2) Time Study for Counselors
Strategy 8 (Goal 2) Vocational Partnerships
Strategy 9 (Goal 3) Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)

ESP is a set of evidence-based supervision techniques demonstrated to be effective and validated in improving the outcomes of probationers and parolees. This program represents a paradigm shift in how DCS supervises cases where the focus is on the quality of interactions between CSOs and the community to enhance overall public safety. By utilizing body camera footage, DCS routinely assesses officers' fidelity to program principles.
The deployment of Court Specialists allowed officers performing court-only duties to be replaced with existing non-sworn personnel and be reassigned to a caseload. This strategy improves the officer-offender ratio, which provides CSOs with more time to implement effective supervision techniques, such as resource linkage and building strong community ties. Currently, there is a court specialist in every circuit. However, there are still approximately 50 officers responsible for working in courtrooms that could be reassigned to caseloads.
As criminal justice reform leads to a greater reliance on community supervision, keeping caseloads at a manageable level will be increasingly important. The risk principle involves targeting efforts and resources at individuals that are the most likely to re-offend. To this end, we will need to ensure our officers are available to devote their attention to these cases. In attempts to lower caseload sizes in Georgia, SB 174 outlined procedures for closing cases early and placing individuals in unsupervised status. Currently, we are monitoring officers' adherence to SB 174 guidelines and exploring opportunities for evaluating the impact of these policies.
Although there were some measurable gains in caseload size reduction as a result of SB 174, there is still more room for improvement in this area. Therefore, we partnered with a research institute to conduct a workload analysis. Findings revealed that, other than caseload size, driving time was limiting officers' time with supervisees. In response, DCS is introducing the use of Video Interactions as a convenient option for communication between officers and supervisees. Necessary policies have been developed and the initiative will take effect by the end of the calendar year.
Additionally, we discovered that officers are spending a great deal of time on administrative tasks. In response, DCS is transforming our call center into a `Virtual Judicial Circuit' that will assist officers in performing administrative tasks unrelated to direct supervision.
Day Reporting Centers (DRCs) are facilities where individuals receive a wide variety of services during the day but return to their homes in the evening. Nationally, DRCs are a popular alternative to incarceration, because of their cost-effectiveness and associations with recidivism reduction. Research demonstrates that DRC participants are 24% less likely to recidivate than non-participants. However, to ensure quality programming is being delivered in Georgia, DCS partnered with the University of Georgia (UGA) to evaluate all 31 DRCs. Results will be used to improve fidelity to program principles and outcomes among individuals with substance abuse needs. Currently, UGA staff are finalizing their analyses and will present a final report by the end of the calendar year. At this time, DCS leadership will formulate a 'Response Plan'.
A well-recognized criminogenic need is antisocial thought patterns, which reinforce participation in criminal activity. Research on cognitive programs in community supervision settings, such as Moral Reconation Therapy, has been linked to decreases in recidivism among participants. Therefore, DCS is organizing an internal time study to ensure that counselors are being fully optimized to address this need.
As the major `routine activity' of most adults, employment is considered a pathway to desistance for individuals under community supervision. Recently, DCS partnered with Applied Research Services (ARS) to assess the effectiveness of the Georgia Prisoner Reentry Initiative (GA-PRI) Model. Findings showed that employment was among the highest needs reported by individuals awaiting release from prison. Moreover, ARS identified that the faster an individual starting supervision obtains employment after being released from prison, the less likely they will re-engage in criminal activity. In short, the ARS evaluation demonstrated a link between assisting individuals to obtain employment and reducing recidivism. As a result, DCS is strategically pursuing partnerships that will provide opportunities for resource linkage related to employment. Currently, we are meeting with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) to explore collaboration opportunities.
Results from an Employee Engagement Survey revealed that DCS employees desire more training and development opportunities. DCS is strategically using this feedback to strengthen its workforce by offering more mission-critical training, such as Trauma-Informed Care (TIC). Many high-risk offenders have a history of trauma, which also impacts their families and surrounding communities. This history may serve as a barrier to addressing criminogenic needs. TIC is an organizational framework that involves understanding these challenges to provide the best services and promote safety for everyone involved. We currently have a state-wide plan in place to deliver the training in-person. However, this plan is on hold while we explore more cost-effective options, such as on-line training.

On Target On Target On Target On Target On Target On Target On Target On Target
On Target

2

Strategy 10 (Goal 3) Health & Wellness Initiative
Strategy 11 (Goal 4) Enhance Needs Assessment Tool
Strategy 12 (Goal 4) Executive Dashboard Strategy 13 (Goal 4) Justice Reinvestment Data Repository Strategy 14 (Goal 4) Research and Data on DCS Website

Community supervision professionals are responsible for supervising convicted felons in a community setting in such a way that the competing goals of accountability, public safety, advocacy, rehabilitation, and deterrence are achieved. Furthermore, these tasks are accomplished within the context of large caseloads, low occupational prestige, and public scrutiny. Inevitably, this environment leads to stress and burnout among employees, which has been linked to increased turnover. Given that the implementation of EBP rests on the shoulders of community supervision professionals, prioritizing the health and well-being of employees is critical for agency success. To this end, DCS is implementing a robust Health & Wellness Initiative designed to assist employees in overcoming the difficulties associated with the nature of this work. Currently, we have designated a Chief Wellness Officer who is in the process of developing a strategic plan and associated performance metrics for this initiative.
Enhance the current needs assessment tool to categorize offenders' needs and record progress on addressing those needs to ensure DCS is adhering to evidence-based supervision strategies. We are currently working with a research partner, ARS, to design the methodology for enhancing the needs assessment. After the plan is developed, DCS and ARS will collaborate to identify funding mechanisms, such as grant opportunities, to begin the project.
Develop and deploy an internal 'Executive Dashboard' for displaying critical performance metrics. While the DCS research team is building the interactive dashboard, they are providing Sr. Leadership with quarterly statistical reports to inform business decisions.
Participate in the multi-agency 'Justice Reinvestment Initiative' data repository hosted by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC). Metrics have been identified and DCS has started to provide sample data to CJCC.
Launch a research and data section on the DCS website for sharing agency information through interactive dashboards and statistical reports. A dashboard providing statistical details of the offender population in Georgia has been developed. DCS's External Affairs division is currently updating the agency website to include the information.

On Target
On Target On Target On Target On Target

3