Georgia Corrections System Assessment
August 25, 2011
Len Engel- Managing Associate for Policy
Crime and Justice Institute at CRJ
www.pewcenteronthestates.com
Slide 1 of 45
Agenda
 Evidence-Based Practices
 Key Questions
 How the system is structured
 Components of System Assessment
1) GDC Prisons
2) GDC Probation
3) Pardons and Paroles
4) Accountability Courts
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Slide 2 of 45
Evidence-based Practices
• Practices proven to reduce the risk of reoffending:
 Use of a validated risk and needs assessment tool to identify and
target risk and need factors associated with criminal behavior
Use a supervision strategy that matches the risk level of offenders
and focus supervision resources on higher risk offenders
Target interventions (EBP programs and services) to the crimecausing needs of offenders and direct assessed offenders to
programs and services that address these needs
 Collect data and information to track offender outcomes and ensure
that what is in place is working
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Slide 3 of 45
Key Questions
• Are Georgia’s laws, policies and practices focused on
reducing recidivism and improving public safety?
– Is Georgia focusing its resources on moderate and
high risk offenders?
– Is Georgia targeting programs to offender needs?
– Is Georgia evaluating the outcomes of their
programs?
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Slide 4 of 45
How the system is structured:
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Slide 5 of 45
GA Corrections CostsPer Day
Regular Probation
$1.02
Intensive Probation
$3.73
Parole Supervision
$4.65
Drug Courts
$13.54
Day Reporting Center
$16.39
Transition Center
$29.76
Medium Security Prison
$41.41
Probation Detention
$48.54
Close Security Prison
$60.49
All Prisons
$45.21
$0
$10
$20
The Pew Charitable Trusts Prepared by Applied Research Services
Source: Department of Corrections, Board of Pardons & Paroles, Office of Planning and Budget
$30
$40
$50
$60
$70
www.pewcenteronthestates.com
Slide 6 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Mission, Population, and Staff
• Mission statement
– The Georgia Department of Corrections protects and serves the
public as a professional organization by effectively managing
offenders while helping to provide a safe and secure environment
for the citizens of Georgia.
• Inmate population 53,120 (this number doesn’t include the jail
backlog awaiting prison beds, currently at 3,374)
– 13,800 minimum security
– 29,288 medium security
– 8,507 close security
– 1,525 no classification
• Staff: 12,299 total GDC staff (not just prisons)
Source: GDC Inmate count by sec level and institution as of 7-20-11
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Slide 7 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Prison Admissions by Type of Admission
90.0%
79%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
59.4%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
23.4%
17.2%
20.0%
10%
10.0%
11%
0.0%
1995
New from Court
2010
Probation Revocation
The Pew Charitable Trusts Prepared by Applied Research Services July 2011
Source: Georgia Department of Corrections
Parole Revocation
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Slide 8 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
2010 Prison Admissions
66%
70%
60%
56%
50%
40%
34%
30%
20%
20%
34%
34%
25%
25%
24%
8%
10%
0%
No Priors 1 Prior 2+ Priors
Prior Prison Episodes
Non-Violent Violent
Crime Type
The Pew Charitable Trusts Prepared by Applied Research Services
July 2011
Person Property
Drug
Other
Crime Type Categories
Mental
Health
Mental Health
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Slide 9 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Types of Facilities
• 31 state prisons: 3 for women
– 3 main security levels: Close Security, Medium Security, Minimum Security
• 3 Pre-Release Centers (PRC)
– Secure environment for offenders with 5 years or less to serve
• 13 Transitional Centers
– Approx 2,700 beds; provides work release; average 9-12 months length of stay
• One Boot Camp for 256 state prison males
– Board of Pardons and Paroles chooses who will attend from prison population
– 3-4 month program; those who complete successfully released on parole
• Contracted facilities
– 23 county prisons; interagency agreements to lease over 5,000 beds in county
prisons to hold state offenders
– 2 Private Prisons; 5,376 offenders
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Slide 10 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Custody Population and Utilization 7/1/11
Offenders
(In a Bed)
Operational
Capacity
38,483
107%
Pre-Release Centers
644
101%
Inmate Boot Camps
218
95%
Parole Revocation Centers
419
91%
Transitional Centers
2,624
101%
Probation Detention Centers
2,259
98%
Probation Boot Camps
100
98%
Probation RSAT Centers
768
98%
County Prisons
5,031
99%
Private Prisons
5,873
98%
State Prisons
Source: Georgia Department of Corrections ARS July 2011
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Slide 11 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Historical Prison Population And Baseline Projection
59,684
8% projected
growth in
5 years
2000
The Pew Charitable Trusts Prepared by Applied Research Services
2005
2011
2016
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Slide 12 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Revised Intake/Diagnostic Process
Diagnostic Process for Typical Offender
(no special MH or medical needs/issues – approx. 75-80% of incoming inmates)
Day 1
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reception
Medical Screen
Blood work
MH Screen
Orientation
Bed Assignment
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
• Educational Testing
• Parole PHS
• Physical Exam
Medical Profile
• Orientation Videos
• Final Interview
• Dental
Entered
• COMPAS/TCUDS
Day 6
• Security Classifica-
tion Approval
Inmate Ready for
Transfer Assignment
• Re-Entry Plan
• Diagnostic Director
Eliminated 2 days of idle time
Review
Source: ARS GDCP Time-In-Motion and Simulation Study June 2011
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Slide 13 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Reentry
• Reentry planning process
– Reentry Case Plan is initiated at entry and Reentry Checklist includes exit
preparation for 2 years prior to release
• Case planning, housing/residence plan, and employment support are addressed
by prison staff at intervals of 24 months, 12 months and 1 month of their parole
or release date
– Reentry plan determined according to COMPAS and TCUDS results
– Results determine programming needs (Educational, Vocational, SA, CBT)
– Also determine Parole /probation requirements and eligibility
» Also influenced by in-facility behavior
– Transitional dormitories within state prisons for offenders not eligible for
transition centers (or no space in centers)
• Within 12 months of maximum release date, inmates are isolated from the rest
of the prison population and receive intensive training and work to focus on
reentry skills
Source: GDC Reentry Standard Operating Procedures
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Slide 14 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Programming
• Programs offered in facilities
• Motivation for change: pre-requisite for participation in other programs
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy programs: MRT, T4C, D.E.T.O.U.R., Reentry Skill
Building (Life Skills)
• Substance Abuse programs: Matrix Early Recovery Skills, Matrix Relapse
Prevention, PSATC/RSATC, Substance Abuse Aftercare Services
• Education programs: Literacy/Remedial Reading, Adult Edu, GED, ESL (English as
a Second Language)
• Employment programs: Voc training, TOPPSTEP, On The Job Training, Live Work
Projects, Offender Career Centers, Work Release (Transitional Centers), Braille
• Other programs: including Mental Health treatment, sex offender treatment and
faith based dormitories (in some facilities), In House Transitional Centers
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Slide 15 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Coastal State Prison
• Coastal State Prison: Intensive Reentry Program targeted at
non-violent offenders with substance abuse issues
• For admission, sentence length must be less than 24 months
• Current offense cannot be for burglary, drug trafficking, methamphetamine
manufacture; No violent felony charges, No sex offenses, No major
medical/mental health issues, No pending charges or active warrants
• No recidivists sentenced under habitual offender law
• One referral per inmate for life
– Programming/Groups:
• D.E.T.O.U.R. (unique to Coastal), Dignity Encouragement Truthfulness Optimism
Uniqueness Respect
• GED, ABE, Literacy/Remedial Reading, Release Orientation, Victim Impact,
Family Violence,, Motivation for Change, AA Support Group
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Slide 16 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Overview
Data and Collaboration
• Data collection and information sharing
– Commissioner is briefed weekly (if not daily) on populations/trends
– Monthly rollup meetings to advise Executive Staff of current numbers and trends;
quarterly meetings to address the data from a long-term perspective
– COMPSTAT process where weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings are held at
different levels of the organization to address numbers and trends and responses
• Multi-agency programs
– TOPPSTEP involves GDC, Parole, and Labor Departments
– THOR (transitional housing directory) administered by parole but made available to
GDC/Probation
– Reentry partnership housing is a combined effort between parole, GDC and Dept.
of Community Affairs (Parole provides funding)
– Probation and Parole, as part of GA’s justice reinvestment initiative, have
indentified operation areas that could be combined in the future
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Slide 17 of 45
1. GDC Prisons: Findings
• Many offenders serving sentences for non-violent offenses with no priors
• Low-risk offenders in prison are mixed with moderate and high risk offenders
• Over 50% of prison population are drug and property offenders
• The validity of Compas results may be questionable due to the manner in
which they are conducted
• While many programs are being offered, program outcomes are not being
evaluated across the board
• Programs like TOPSTEP and DETOUR are only offered to a percentage of
population (those being paroled, not those maxing out; only those at Coastal)
• Programs in prison and in the community have significant wait lists
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Slide 18 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
Probation Population
• Probation is the most frequently used sentencing option in Georgia.
– Approximately 63% of State Adult Offenders are on probation
– Probation often follows incarceration
o About 2,000 offenders currently being supervised by both probation and parole
• 17% of probation population have mental health needs
• Average GA probation sentence length is 6.8 years while nationally it’s
estimated at 3 years 2 months
• Currently 41,899 active probationers (30%) with 4.1-5 years
probation sentence
• Currently 30,157 active probationers (22%) with 9.1-10 years
probation sentence
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Slide 19 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
Probation Caseloads and Supervision
• Ratio of probationers to probation officers is 200 to 1
• Currently 812 Probation Officers in the field hand; they handle a blended
caseload
• 209,616 on probation
• Multiple Probation Supervision Levels (currently High, Std, Specialized,
Admin/Unsupervised , Warrant) based on offender characteristics:
– Active Supervision 106,365 (Standard 78,166, approximately 25,000 identified as
high risk based on assessment)
– Administrative 28,346
– Unsupervised 22,290
• 33,807 came off probation in 2010
• 39,417 were admitted to probation in 2010
Numbers from R. Henry with GDC
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Slide 20 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
% of Prison Releases with Probation to Follow
90.0%
79.0%
80.0%
71.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
44.0%
43.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
1995
2010
Max Outs
The Pew Charitable Trusts Prepared by Applied Research Services
Source: Georgia Department of Corrections
Parole
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Slide 21 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
Probation Options
• Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Centers (RSAT)
– Six month residential treatment facilities for probationers with severe
substance abuse problems
– Three facilities: 2 male (600 beds available), 1 female (200 beds available)
» 500 male offenders are in a jail bed awaiting transfer to an RSAT and 250
female offenders are backed up in jail
– Can be sentenced to a RSAT by a judge or sent for violation of probation or
parole
– Offer cognitive-behavioral substance abuse treatment with mental health
component
• Probation Boot Camp for 100 males
– Can be sentenced directly by court or sent for revocation
– Ages 17-30 with no previous adult incarceration
– Military regime; work during the day, risk reduction programming at night
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Slide 22 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
Probation Options Continued
• Probation Detention Center (PDC)
‐ Sentencing option or as result of revocation
‐ About 2,315 beds
o 808 in jails waiting for PDC beds (8/19/11)
‐ 9 minimum security facilities, 1 for women
- Intended to be a 60-120 day program
o Judges are sentencing inmates to PDCs for as long as 4 years
o Average length of stay for those departed in FY11 was 183 days
- Unpaid work details and programming
- Drug assessment conducted and may be referred to treatment services
(AA, NA, other treatment methods)
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Slide 23 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
Probation Options Continued
• Probation Reporting Contact Center (PRCC) - compliance reports from
standard, lowest risk level probationers
– PRCC’s Interactive Voice Response technology (IVR), an automated
telephone reception and case note documentation system
– Support staff member assigned to the PRCC—Customer Service
Representatives (a.k.a. PRCC “call handlers”). Information
documented into Probation Operations’ case notes data
management system and immediately made electronically available
to the supervising probation officer.
• There are about 13,000 probationers reporting through the PRCC and this
is expected to double by the end of the year.
• Caseloads are 500-1
• Moves a large volume of low-risk probationers into a low supervision
caseload and reserves POs for higher risk probationers.
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Slide 24 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
Probation Options Continued
• Day Reporting Centers (DRC)- 13 centers, 80-120 offenders
served per center (future expansion planned as funding allows)
– Non-residential, alternative sanction for felony offenders with a
history of non-compliant behavior related to substance abuse
– Sentenced by the courts or sent due to a supervision violation
(probationers and parolees)
– Provide: Substance abuse (in three phases), Cognitive (criminal
thinking), Education, Employment
– Components include:
• Drug treatment (daily testing), Surveillance Officer oversight (nightly curfew),
Community partnerships, Family / social bonds restored, Mandatory
employment, mental health counseling
– Aimed at medium-high risk
• Low risk offenders are 16.7-39.3% of admissions depending on site
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Slide 25 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
Probation Options Continued
• 2004: Probation Management Act established the Probation Options
Management Program (POM)
• Administrative process to sanction probation violators without
returning to the judge. GDC can modify the probationer’s current
supervision as long as the sanctions are equal to or less restrictive
than the maximum non-prison sanction set by the sentencing judge.
– Typically used for technical violations and low-level misdemeanor
offenses
• Probationers can appeal to the judge, however few do and most waive
the administrative hearing (83% during the pilot project)
• Current stats:
– 18,527 offenders under POM
o Statewide average is 147 new cases per week being placed under POM
– 104 judges in 34 judicial circuits
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Slide 26 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Overview
Probation Options Continued
• Evaluation of POM pilot program in 2005:
– POM participants spend significantly less time in jail than non-POM
probationers (6-10 days in jail for the 4 POM judicial circuits vs. 2834 days in jail for the comparison districts)
– Reduced time in court for offenders and probation officers
– Reduced time between first violation and sanction (“swiftness”)
though still between 25 and 83 days (reduced from 111-229 days in
comparison circuits)
– Offenders under POM received more proportionate and graduated
sanctions
• Probation also uses a matrix of graduated sanctions to address less
severe non-compliant behavior
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Slide 27 of 45
2. GDC Probation: Findings
• Limited use of assessment tools in making diversion decisions:
– RSAT – do judges use a validated needs assessment?
– Boot camps – what is the target risk population?
• Probation Detention Centers (PDC) – longer terms than intended (6-12
months), creating backlog in jails, and mixing risk levels
• Programs targeting moderate and higher risk offenders are admitting
low-risk offenders
• Probation sentence lengths are much higher than the national average
• Extremely high caseloads
• Administrative and unsupervised cases still require Probation Officers’
time, and therefore they aren’t able to focus on high risk offenders
• Delay between violation and POM sanction (between 22 and 83 days)
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Slide 28 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
Mission, Board, and Communication
• Parole Board Mission Statement
– To enhance public safety by making informed parole decisions and
successfully transitioning offenders back into the community
• Georgia Parole Board
– Five member Parole Board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by
State Senate for a seven year term
– Parole Board members individually consider eligible inmates parole
release cases rather than by joint meeting
– Final parole decisions are determined by individual votes of three parole
board members
• Communication with DOC and Probation has increased significantly in the
last couple years. Parole staff now has access to the DOC database SCRIBE
and DOC will have access to Parole database CMS this month.
• Case Management System (CMS) produces reports to various levels of staff
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Slide 29 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
Parole Population and Staff
Parole Field Supervision Data
– Parole Supervision Population
• 26,836 under parole supervision in-state (8/13/11)
• At least 2,000 parolees are also on probation (Split-sentencing)
– Parole Population Trends
• 67% (36,640 out of 54,459) of the total inmate population are parole
eligible
– 2% decrease of parole eligible inmates since 2009 and 29% decrease since
1995
– Staff (ratio)
• FY10: 300 parole officers
• FY10 average caseload: 81 blended High and Standard cases
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Slide 30 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
Prison Releases by Release Type
The percentage of inmates paroled has decreased over the past 20 years
100%
80%
Max-Out
60%
Parole
40%
20%
0%
1990
1994
1998
The Pew Charitable Trusts Prepared by Applied Research Services
Source: Georgia Department of Corrections
2002
2006
2010
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Slide 31 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
Approvals, Denials, and Revocations
• Decision-making: approvals, denials, etc.
– FY11: 80% (29,393 out of 36,640) of parole eligible inmate
population reviewed for parole consideration
– FY10: 10,511 releases to parole, 1,645 releases to supervised
reprieve, 1,076 releases to conditional transfer, and 694 releases to
commutation
• Parole revocations
– TOTAL PAROLE REVOCATIONS: 2,594 (down from 3,092 in FY09)
» 10% of revocations were a result of technical violations (273)
» 90% of revocations due to new criminal offenses (2,321)
» 11,189 arrest warrants issued by Parole Board
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Slide 32 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
PED, TPM, and PIC
• Inmates eligible for Parole have a Parole Eligibility Date
(PED) set at 33% of their sentence
• Prior to the PED, the Parole Board examines the
specific circumstances of the case and, using a crime
severity level and risk to reoffend grid, assigns a
Tentative Parole Month (TPM)
• Inmates are able to lower the TPM by earning
Performance Incentive Credits (PIC) for participation
and satisfactory progress in education/treatment
programs, work, and good behavior
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Slide 33 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
Reentry Housing
Reentry Partnership Housing
Program (RPH)
• 40 approved RPH facilities providing
housing to parolees with no residential
options considered “problem residence
inmates”
• In 2010, 199 parolees were placed in
RPH facilities increasing the total parole
population in RPHs from 644 to 678 with
a total of 992 parolees being placed in
an RPH facility since its beginning in
2006
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Slide 34 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
Residential Programs
 Transitional Housing for Offender Reentry (THOR)
• 134 THOR residences throughout Georgia providing community-based
residential and/or substance abuse options for inmates released on
parole.
• THOR facilities are targeted to parolees with unaddressed criminogenic
needs and/or who are homeless or nearly homeless.
• Parole Board must approve parolees admission into THOR facility
– 1) Structured Housing (assessments optional)
» 26 facilities for inmates who meet prison release requirements, but do not
have available housing.
» Structured housing does not provide treatment and/or counseling.
– 2) Standard Recovery Residence (assessments recommended)
» 60 facilities providing one or more substance abuse counseling services per
week.
– 3) Intensive Recovery Residence (assessments required)
» 48 facilities providing 5 or more hours of intensive substance abuse
counseling provided by certified substance abuse counselors or licensed
professionals
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Slide 35 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
Substance Abuse Programs
 Outpatient Parolee Substance Abuse Recovery Services
• 6 week program, available in every parole district, requiring weekly group
sessions and a minimum of 2 negative drug tests
• FY 2010: 2,394 motivation assessment and planning (MAP) group sessions, and
7,924 recovery group sessions
• FY2011: 133 successful completions, and 94 non-completers
• No program waitlist-once capacity of 10 is reached, an additional program is
added
 The Substance Abuse Aftercare Services (SAAS)
• 6 month program targeting high risk, high needs offenders who have completed
an intensive substance abuse services program
• These programs include: Day Reporting Centers, Residential Substance Abuse
Treatment, and/or approved community programs lasting a minimum of 17
weeks of length
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Slide 36 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Overview
Programs
Cognitive Skills Programming
 Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT)
• 12 step Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program for criminal offenders,
substance abusers, and others with anti-social personalities
• MRT takes an average of six months to complete
• Approximately 700 individuals enrolled with a monthly completion rate
of roughly 70 individuals
– Those that do not complete the program are as a result of several factors (i.e.
new arrest with parole revocation, new employment in conflict with
programming time, successful discharge from supervision)
 Sex Offender Programming
 Parole mandated, all sex offenders are required to attend sex offender therapy
and submit to polygraph exams
 762 sex offender cases currently under supervision
 No waitlist for therapist or polygrapher services; these providers are located
throughout the state
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Slide 37 of 45
3. Pardons and Paroles: Findings
• Inmates eligible for parole who are sentenced to two years or
less are not eligible for PIC- Performance Incentive Credits
• Cognitive Skills Programming, such as MRT, is not offered in all
Parole offices due to staff shortages/high caseloads
• There is no incentive for offenders to comply with the conditions
of their supervision and participate in programs while on parole
(similar to PIC while in prison)
• Judges, prosecutors, and victims don’t have all the information
regarding how much time the offender is likely to serve based
on parole decisions
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Slide 38 of 45
4. Accountability Courts: Overview
Mission and Different Courts
• “These courts promote personal responsibility by holding the
participant accountable for his/her actions and behaviors.”
• “Team approach that functions within the existing court
structure. The judge, defender, prosecutor, law enforcement,
treatment provider, coordinator and others all work together to
create a balance of authority, supervision, support, and
encouragement for each participant.”
– 72 Drug courts: 33 adult felony drug courts (1 felony drug & DUI court, 1
felony drug & mental health court), 18 DUI courts, 12 juvenile drug courts,
9 family dependency treatment courts,)
– 13 Mental health courts
– 3 Veterans courts
– 4 Child Support Problem Solving courts
Source: Georgia Accountability Courts
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Slide 39 of 45
4. Accountability Courts: Overview
Drug Courts
• Drug courts use sanctions and incentives
• Each drug court is operated independently; Standing Committee
on Drug Courts set 10 key components
– No standard operating practices or procedures for management of courts
– No comprehensive data management or collection system
• Length of program usually 12, 18, or 24 months
• Sobriety required for graduation usually 6 or 12 months
• Of 29 adult felony drug courts*:
– 2,183 active participants (as of 1/1/11)
o Range from 13-285 participants per drug court
– 4,078 graduates (as of 1/1/11)
*Data not available for 4 drug courts
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Slide 40 of 45
4. Accountability Courts: Overview
Drug Courts Continued
• Pre-trial diversion :
– Not asked to plead innocent or guilty
– Enter immediately into the intervention program, including regular meetings with
the judge
– If they successfully complete the program, charges against them may be dismissed.
If they fail to complete the program, they will be prosecuted on the original charge
• Post-plea sentencing:
– Defendant enters a plea, but the judge agrees to defer imposing a sentence until
an intervention program is completed
– Upon successful completion, the judge may vacate the plea, and ask the DA to
dismiss the case
• Post-adjudication :
– Judge imposes a sentence but agrees to suspend it until completion of the
intervention program
Source: Administrative Office of the Courts
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Slide 41 of 45
4. Accountability Courts: Overview
Drug Courts Study
•
Department of Audits 2010 Study: Adult Felony Drug Court
‒
‒
‒
7% of drug court participants re-convicted in 2 years
(29% for similar incarcerated offenders)
Average $13.54/day cost for drug court
Cost for 2,000 participants was ½ of traditional
sentencing options
($18 vs. $36 million)
Source: Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts Performance Audit Operations,, September 2010
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Slide 42 of 45
4. Accountability Courts: Findings
• Accountability courts aren’t using a validated risk-needs assessment to
ensure that only moderate to high-need offenders are admitted
• Accountability courts are systemized with basic standards and are run
individually with no central oversight
• There aren’t systemic standards requiring decision-making that only
allow certain offenders bound for prison to go to a drug court
• There is no requirement that Accountability Courts collect admission,
implementation and outcome data that would allow assessment of
how effective they are at improving public safety
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Slide 43 of 45
Summary of System Assessment
• Key Questions: Are Georgia’s laws, policies and practices
focused on reducing recidivism and improving public safety?
– Is Georgia focusing its resources on moderate and high risk offenders?
o Inconsistently and not systemically
o A validated risk-needs assessment tool is not used when sentencing
someone to RSAT, PDC or other program nor is one used in drug courts
to determine who has a substance abuse problem warranting significant
resources
o The majority of the prison population are serving sentences for nonviolent offenses, and probation caseloads are high therefore POs can’t
focus on moderate and high risk offenders
o While many community-based programs target moderate and high risk
offenders they have a significant percentage of low risk offenders;
mixing risk levels has been shown to negatively affect the low risk
population
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Slide 44 of 45
Summary of System Assessment
• Key Questions: Are Georgia’s laws, policies and practices
focused on reducing recidivism and improving public safety?
– Is Georgia targeting programs to offender needs?
o Risk-needs assessment are not conducted for all programs, and
when they are conducted it is unclear if they are implemented
with fidelity and if the results are evaluated and targeted to the
extent that they need to be in order to be effective
– Is Georgia evaluating the outcomes of their programs?
o There have been some evaluations of programs, but not that link
programs elements to reducing recidivism. Thus whether these
programs are improving public safety is largely unknown.
o The evaluations that have been conducted indicated the need for
changes in various practices
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