TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Amanda Gibbs, Chief Probation Officer
REPORT BY: Ferlyn Buenafe, Staff Services Manager
SUBJECT: Agreement with University of Cincinnati Research Institute
RECOMMENDATION
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Chief Probation Officer requests the following:
1. Approval of and authorization for the Chair to sign Agreement No. 230241B with University of Cincinnati Research Institute (UCCI) for the term December 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, for a maximum annual compensation of $235,000, to provide evidence-based practice training and consultation; and
2. Approval of a Budget Adjustment to increase appropriations for Professional Services by $130,000 (Fund 1000, Subdivision 1420000) with offsetting Revenue from 2011 Realignment in Probation. (4/5 vote required)
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
UCCI’s mission is to research, develop, disseminate, and implement evidence-based practices in corrections. Evidence-based training will be offered to the Napa County Probation Department, Department of Corrections, District Attorney Office, Public Defender’s Office and Napa County Superior Court.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
No |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Probation (14200-00) |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
The services provided are not mandatory but it is a commitment from the County to maintain an evidence-based justice system. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
Yes |
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Future fiscal impact: |
Funds will be budgeted accordingly in future fiscal years. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
Foundational evidence-based training will not be provided to all new staff in law enforcement and refresher training in best practices to existing staff. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Collaborative and Engaged Community |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The County developed an Adult Correctional Systems Master Plan in 2007. Central to this plan is the commitment to use comprehensive evidence-based practices (EBP) throughout the criminal justice system. Initial implementation of EBP included foundational training in EBP for all staff in criminal justice agencies. However, as new staff have been hired over the years, initial EBP training was not available.
As more research is conducted the science of evidence-based practices can change and it is critical to remain up to date with the latest research. To maintain an evidence-based justice system, foundational training for all new staff and updated training to staff that initially received the training is needed.
Additionally, it is important for the Probation Officers who case manage the high-risk population to have continual training in best practices and recidivism reduction. Research supports a set of staff practices that have shown success in promoting long-term behavior change of the individual offenders. Core Correctional Practices (CCP) identifies both skills and strategies that staff can use to increase the effective opportunities for greater individual success outcomes. CCP can reduce recidivism by teaching participants how to engage in long-term prosocial behavior. CCPs include the principles of effective intervention, relationship skills, effective use of reinforcement, effective use of disapproval, effective use of authority, prosocial modeling, cognitive restructuring, social skills training, and problem-solving skills. UCCI provides a train-the-trainer model and provides a no-per-use fee once staff complete the train-the-trainer program for curriculum. This will allow for significant cost savings as our current model of Cognitive Behavioral Training (CBT) require a cost per book per offender.
The contract maximum for the Agreement is $235,000. Offsetting revenue of $230,000 from realigned AB 109 funding was approved at the County’s Community Correctional Partnership Committee (CCP) May 12, 2022 meeting. The remaining $5,000 will be paid by Probation’s budget (1420000). Probation included some expenses for EBP contracted services in FY 2022-23. The additional request for appropriation is reflected in the requested Budget Adjustment accordingly.