Presented by:
Leann Bertsch, Director, North Dakota DOCR
IMPLEMENTING THE TRANSITION FROM
PRISON TO COMMUNITY INITIATIVE IN NORTH
DAKOTA
VISION / MISSION OF THE ND DOCR

Vision Statement: A safer North Dakota through
effective correctional services.

The mission of the North Dakota Department of
Corrections is to enhance public safety, to
reduce the risk of future criminal behavior by
holding adult and juvenile offenders
accountable, and to provide opportunities for
change.
WHERE WE WERE
Started TPC Initiative in 2003
 Several work groups put together to address
the TPC Model decision points
 Division rift continued…
 Re-energized in 2007 after organizational
restructure

 Went
from a tall, narrow organizational structure to
a short flat structure
WHAT WE’VE DONE - COLLABORATION

2007 – Assembled Transition Leadership Team
 State,
local, private department heads tasked with
oversight of TPC.
 Vision : To keep North Dakota the safest state in
the nation.
WHAT WE’VE DONE - COLLABORATION

2007 – Transition Leadership Team chartered
Transition Steering Committee
 Key
staff in stakeholder agencies
 Review systematic barriers to the Leadership
Team’s vision
 Develop strategies to address those barriers
 Make recommendations back to Leadership Team
WHAT WE’VE DONE - COLLABORATION

Inability to share presentence investigation
 Solved

in early 2008
ID Cards
 Effort
to bring DOT staff to the prison-completed in
2010.
Short Sentenced Offenders
 Enhancement of Education/Employment Skills

WHAT WE’VE DONE - COLLABORATION

Reentry Phase Issues
 Release
and Integration Project
 Targets
seriously mentally ill inmates for enhanced case
management
 Sex Offender release planning
Homeless Sex Offenders
 Transition of Native American offenders
 Expansion of Local Reentry Teams

WHAT WE’VE DONE - COLLABORATION

Fargo & Bismarck
 Formed
under SVORI
 Operational since 2003

Grand Forks & Lake Region
 Recently
formed
 Advisory & Working Teams
Provides a process for local solutions to reentry
issues, and case planning.
WHAT WE’VE DONE - COLLABORATION

North Dakota Reentry Summit
 Held
in October 2009
 250 participants (half stakeholders)
 Plan developed to address Reentry issues
WHERE WE WERE -TPC MODEL

Case Planning
 Case
planning disjointed
 Offender may have several case plans
 Institutional
 Transitional
Facility
 Parole/Probation
 Communication
and planning issues
WHAT WE’VE DONE – TPC MODEL

Initial Classification/Case Planning Committee
 Performs
initial classification hearing for inmates
 Examine all assessment information
 Develops individual case plan based on:
 Risk
(LSI-R)
 Needs
 Custody Level
 Length of sentence
WHAT WE’VE DONE – TPC MODEL

Transition Accountability Plan (TAP)
 Group
chartered in 2008
 Develop TAP based on criminogenic risk/needs
 Used from admission to prison/caseload until
release from DOCR supervision (prison or
community)
 Internal software developed to be used by all staff
in case management role (including contract
facilities and P&P Officers)
 Roll-out June 2012
WHAT WE’VE DONE – TPC MODEL

Behavior and Programming
 Entered
into contract with University of Cincinnati to
redesign correctional programming.
 Focus on Cognitive Behavioral Treatment model.
 Implement system of rewards as well as sanctions
throughout correctional system.
WHAT WE’VE DONE – TPC MODEL

Release Preparation
 Developed
 Helps
Inmate Release Handbook
inmate develop release plan
 Lists resource referral agencies
 Lists positive family members, companions, etc. for
support.
WHAT WE’VE DONE – TPC MODEL

Revocation Decision Making
 Developed
 Provides
“Managing Noncompliant Behavior”
a consistent, department-approved guideline to
help Parole & Probation staff manage violations.
 Reviewed by several national experts in addressing
parole and probation violations.
WHAT WE’VE DONE – TPC MODEL

Implemented Intensive Transition Program Coordinator



Staff member committed to staffing & managing
parole/probation violations.
Staffing consists of officer, supervisor, ITPC.
Develop recommendations for intermediate measures,
diversion opportunities, revocation sentence
recommendations.
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

ASSESS ACTUARIAL RISK/NEEDS
 Utilization
of the LSI-R since 2001
 Administered
in community and prison.
 QA
 Training
 Utilized
in Presentence Investigation
 Utilized to develop case plans (TAP)
 2011 Validation Study
Inter-rater reliability
 Statistically significant predictor of risk

IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

Other assessment tools
 Static-99R
 MnSOST-R
 Acute
 Stable
2007
 TCU Criminal Thinking Scales
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

ENHANCE INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Effective Communication and Motivational Strategies
 DOCR Management trained December 2010

 Practice

groups weekly
All DOCR Staff trained throughout 2011
 Practice
groups weekly
 Development of minimum proficiency standards underway

Core Correctional Practices/Cognitive Behavioral
Treatment
 Internal
trainers being trained by UC, all custodial/P&P staff to
be trained
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES
TARGET INTERVENTIONS
 Risk Principle (prioritize supervision and
treatment resources for higher risk offenders)

 Proxy
assessment
 Diversion supervision
 Top 50 Report
 Evidence Based Sentence Recommendations PSI
Pilot project
 Staff, judicial training
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

Need Principle (target interventions to criminogenic
needs)



TAPs focus on Top 3 of Big 6 LSI-R domains.
Program redesign focus on treating dynamic criminogenic
risk areas first.
Responsivity Principle (be responsive to temperament,
learning style, motivation, gender and culture when
assigning to programs)


Treatment Department Multi Discipline Staffing.
More consideration to responsivity in program redesign.
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

Dosage (structure 40%-70% of high-risk
offenders’ time for 3-9 months)
 2010
85% left inmate status through transitional
services (treatment, transitional housing, or had
parole/probation supervision)
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES
SKILL TRAIN WITH DIRECTED PRACTICE
 Use cognitive-behavioral treatment methods –
Core Programming in prison:

 Thinking
for Change
 Prison
– program redesign
 Community – pilot project at regional human service
center
 Conflict
Resolution
 Substance Abuse – new curricula
 Sex Offender Treatment – new curricula
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

INCREASE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
4
(+) to 1 (-) ratio
 Program redesign subcommittees developing
evidence-based behavior modification protocol for
all 3 prisons.
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

ENGAGE SUPPORT IN COMMUNITIES
 Reentry
Teams
 Bismarck,
Fargo, Devils Lake, Grand Forks
 ICCPC
targeting release community to align
services
 TPC stakeholders
 Leadership
and Steering Committees
 Stakeholder training
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

MEASURE RELEVANT PRACTICES
 Correctional
Program Checklist
 Data Dashboard (PBMS, Revocation)
 Implementing goal/strategy evaluation in TAP
 Itag & Docstars
 Several data tracking
 ICCPC
data
 Reentry Teams
 Transition
IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

PROVIDE MEASUREMENT FEEDBACK
 CPC
reports.
 Some data feed back to staff & management.
 Annual report to Reentry Teams.
QUESTIONS?
Thank you.