Effective Community Supervision in Ohio
The Ohio Adult Parole Authority uses a specialized approach to supervising sex offenders in the
community. The following are key elements of this approach:
- Specialized units: In its most urban areas, the state has established specialized supervision units.
- Specialized training: Specialized training is often conducted by the agency's Sex Offender Specialists, who are regionally based staff at the supervisory level with extensive experience and knowledge of sex offender management. Opportunities to participate in specialized training at state and national conferences are provided as well.
- Caseload sizes: Guidelines are being developed to establish caseloads and caseload size limits based upon the risk levels and identified needs of offenders. These guidelines will result in reduced caseloads for officers who work with higher-risk/higher-need offenders.
- Individually tailored case management plans: Individualized plans are developed to guide post-release supervision efforts for each offender. These plans take into account the perspectives of the parole officers and others who have worked with the offenders in the community and are tailored to address the risk levels and unique needs of each offender. The STATIC-99 risk assessment tool is used (along with a general offender risk assessment tool that has been validated on Ohio offenders) at the outset of the community supervision process to help determine the necessary intensity of supervision. Throughout the supervision process, officers can add or remove conditions in response to changes in risk level and criminogenic needs.
- Collaboration: Officers work closely with stakeholders who have a role in managing or supporting the offenders. These stakeholders include institutional sex offender assessment and program staff, other types of program/service staff, employers, local law enforcement, and family members. This collaboration begins when the offenders enters the system, with an evidence-based assessment of risk. High and medium-high risk offenders are identified to receive sex offender specific programming before they are released. The University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute has piloted a model, evidence-based sex offender programs in DRC institutions. This program addresses all components and elements of an evidence-based program, including cognitive-behavioral treatment, incentives and rewards, quality of group facilitation, ongoing assessment and treatment planning, and collaborative efforts between institutional and program staff. The agency's Sex Offender Specialists maintain the continuity of treatment by providing aftercare treatment that is consistent with the institution-based programs. All staff, involved in sex offender programming, both in institutions and the community receive the same training on assessment and treatment.
- Success-oriented supervision strategies: Promoting offender success is emphasized since offender success is directly linked to community safety. Some officers are trained in motivational interviewing and other effective offender interaction techniques that are designed to promote offenders' engagement and internal motivation. The agency is also implementing a case management process that focuses on the nature and quality of officer interactions with offenders and their family members rather than strict contact standards.
- Responding to violations: A research-based, progressive sanctioning grid is used to guide responses to non-compliance with supervision expectations and to ensure that these responses are individualized, timely, proportional, and consistent. In addition to violation responses, officers can provide incentives and rewards (e.g., removing certain conditions, reducing supervision intensity or contact expectations) to reinforce compliance and progress.
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