Reentry Strategies for Tribal Communities Presented by: Tracy Mullins, Senior Research Associate & Kimberly Cobb, Research Associate American Probation and Parole Association

Community Supervision What is it? What is it? How is it used to supervise tribal offenders? How is it used to supervise tribal offenders?

What are the benefits of community supervision? Court perspective? Court perspective? Offender perspective? Offender perspective? Community perspective? Community perspective?

Benefits—Court Perspective Cost savings Cost savings Viable option to jail or other confinement Viable option to jail or other confinement Means for enforcing conditions of release Means for enforcing conditions of release Enhances credibility and accountability Enhances credibility and accountability

Benefits—Offender Stay at home Stay at home Maintain (or seek) employment Maintain (or seek) employment Access to needed treatment and other resources/services Access to needed treatment and other resources/services Maintain connection to community Maintain connection to community Maintain (or encourage) involvement in spiritual and cultural practices Maintain (or encourage) involvement in spiritual and cultural practices

Benefits—Community Chance for restoration Chance for restoration More system accountability and credibility More system accountability and credibility Enhanced public safety Enhanced public safety

Dual Role of Community Supervision Officers Enforce conditions of release Enforce conditions of release Facilitate behavioral change Facilitate behavioral change Using tools to determine factors that contribute to offending Using tools to determine factors that contribute to offending Using resources available to address identified factors to reduce re-offense Using resources available to address identified factors to reduce re-offense

Why Do Risk Assessments? Provides credibility to community supervision Provides credibility to community supervision Identifies those most and least likely to re- offend Identifies those most and least likely to re- offend Identifies those who need specific interventions Identifies those who need specific interventions Improves proper placement of offenders Improves proper placement of offenders Improves proper utilization of resources Improves proper utilization of resources Reduces arbitrary decision making Reduces arbitrary decision making Enhances public safety Enhances public safety

Assessment Tools Decision making guides Decision making guides Supervision plan development Supervision plan development Treatment plan development Treatment plan development Provides objective measures for decision making Provides objective measures for decision making No universal tool No universal tool

Decision Making Guides Pre-trial Pre-trial Pre-sentence investigations Pre-sentence investigations Supervision classifications Supervision classifications Supervision case management Supervision case management Reclassification Reclassification Violations of probation reports Violations of probation reports Early discharge decisions Early discharge decisions

Three Types of Assessments Screening Instruments Screening Instruments Comprehensive Risk/Needs Assessments Comprehensive Risk/Needs Assessments Specialized Tools Specialized Tools

Screening Instruments Quick and easy Quick and easy Static items Static items Detain or Not to Detain Detain or Not to Detain Primary Offender Risk Primary Offender Risk

Comprehensive Risk/Need Assessments Actuarial vs. Clinical Actuarial vs. Clinical Longer to administer Longer to administer More expensive More expensive Require staff training Require staff training Provide outcome measures Provide outcome measures Dynamic—can be used for reassessment Dynamic—can be used for reassessment Facilitate case/treatment planning Facilitate case/treatment planning

Specialized Tools Assess specific domains Assess specific domains Require staff training Require staff training Use in conjunction with comprehensive risk/need assessments Use in conjunction with comprehensive risk/need assessments

Use of Tools Screening Instrument Comprehensive Risk/Need Assessment Specialized Tools

Group Exercise How Assessments Guide Interventions

How do you identify which assessment is best for your jurisdiction? Questions to ask yourself: Questions to ask yourself: Will personnel require training to render instrument? Will personnel require training to render instrument? Will you be able to analyze the results? Will you be able to analyze the results? Extract meaningful results? Extract meaningful results? Appropriate for targeted audience (gender, cultural, developmental, etc.)? Appropriate for targeted audience (gender, cultural, developmental, etc.)? Difficulty of tool to administer? Difficulty of tool to administer? Is the tool valid/reliable? Is the tool valid/reliable?

Reliability = Consistency Do we get reliable results each time we administer this assessment? Do we get reliable results each time we administer this assessment? No matter how many times we administer No matter how many times we administer No matter who/how many different people administer it No matter who/how many different people administer it Under all circumstances it is administered (e.g. in office, in jail, in treatment facility, etc.) Under all circumstances it is administered (e.g. in office, in jail, in treatment facility, etc.)

Validity Does the instrument measure what we want it to measure? Does the instrument measure what we want it to measure? Predictive validity = can we predict who will recidivate and who will not? Predictive validity = can we predict who will recidivate and who will not? Human behavior does not lend itself to 100% predictability! Human behavior does not lend itself to 100% predictability!

What struggles do tribal jurisdictions face in implementing risk/need assessments into community supervision practices?

Tribal Community Supervision Myriad challenges Myriad challenges Large geographic locations Large geographic locations Lack of funds to support community supervision personnel Lack of funds to support community supervision personnel Lack of funds to train community supervision personnel Lack of funds to train community supervision personnel Unique tribal laws and customs Unique tribal laws and customs Limited use of sanctions/incentives Limited use of sanctions/incentives Jurisdictional complications Jurisdictional complications

Community Supervision of Substance Abusing Tribal Offenders Project Funded by the BJA Funded by the BJA Managed by APPA Managed by APPA Goals are to provide information, resources, training, and technical assistance on: Goals are to provide information, resources, training, and technical assistance on: Benefits of community supervision for tribal offenders. Benefits of community supervision for tribal offenders. Development and implementation of effective community supervision practices for tribal courts. Development and implementation of effective community supervision practices for tribal courts. Use of community supervision assessment tools as a means for holding tribal offenders accountable, identifying appropriate treatment needs and protecting public safety. Use of community supervision assessment tools as a means for holding tribal offenders accountable, identifying appropriate treatment needs and protecting public safety. Development and implementation of effective correctional options. Development and implementation of effective correctional options.

For Questions or More Information Tracy Mullins, Senior Research Associate Tracy Mullins, Senior Research Associate Kimberly Cobb, Research Associate Kimberly Cobb, Research Associate