tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post2325770817130561911..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Diversion program reduced new prisoner numbers from revoked probationersGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-27342754819118417002011-12-19T18:40:44.315-06:002011-12-19T18:40:44.315-06:00John, agreed about culling out absconders from the...John, agreed about culling out absconders from the revocation statistics. <br /><br />But, as you are well aware, it is the Judge who revokes defendants, not the probation department. <br /><br />Transparency is great and IMO necessary, but until the DA's Office has a funding stream in jeopardy of being sliced and diced based the number of probationers that are sent to prison by revocation, the DA has no reason to really be invested in alternative sanctions and diversion programs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-5178697044391959062011-12-19T13:18:28.068-06:002011-12-19T13:18:28.068-06:00In my opinion, so much of your chances for success...In my opinion, so much of your chances for success in reducing revocations for technical violations depend upon if you can get buy-in from your district attorney's office. Over the years, we have worked very hard in cultivating a relationship of trust and transparency between our department and the DA's Office, especially with regards to using progressive sanctions, and I think that it's working. At the state level, technical revocations for absconding need to be culled out from the rest, and those should not be held against us.John McGuirenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-22908791407083307402011-12-17T09:02:33.996-06:002011-12-17T09:02:33.996-06:00The infrastructure at CJAD and every CSCD is not l...The infrastructure at CJAD and every CSCD is not large enough to keep up with the needs surrounding what is necessary for CSTS ISYS etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-47196784885440038032011-12-14T13:24:28.470-06:002011-12-14T13:24:28.470-06:00Also, in the 82st legislative session, and in resp...Also, in the 82st legislative session, and in response to a statewide survey, probation departments were provided with incentive pay to help retain qualified staff, and hopefully not lose their experience to other careers. Not saying that the additional caseload reduction funding was not a very important part of the reason for the success in reducing revocations, but the retention of experienced staff surely assisted with more evidenced based programs being utilized rather than revocation being recommended. So Grits statement that "using financial incentives to local government to reduce state incarceration rates actually worked" is very true, but may not be tied to the caseload reduction funding alone.Jim Stotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09484387651863003779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-92177544501736764772011-12-14T12:52:27.721-06:002011-12-14T12:52:27.721-06:00These problems with inaccurate reporting were supp...These problems with inaccurate reporting were supposed to be corrected through the use of CSTS. It's my understanding that CSTS was ordered into place nearly 20 years ago and only recently has actually been pushed forward in any sort of significant way. For years, CJAD compared CSTS information and hard-copy monthly reports from each CSCD, and this showed the glaring inconsistency in record-keeping, especially among those Departments that "fudged" their numbers to show they were supervising more offenders in order to get more funding. But there are still problems with CSTS due to incompatability with several county software programs. Is one unified, statewide system too much to ask?A Texas POhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05675916968621862855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-21352590698426567172011-12-14T09:12:07.199-06:002011-12-14T09:12:07.199-06:008:48: All criminal justice data in my experience i...8:48: All criminal justice data in my experience is "questionable," particularly stuff where each individual jurisdiction self-reports and may use different methodologies, have staff assigned to compiling them of greater or lesser competence, etc.. That argues for caution when interpreting the data, but that doesn't excuse us from examining the facts as we understand them, however imperfectly. Without such data, everyone, including and especially legislative decisionmakers, are flying blind. When, as in this case, there are explanations for outliers, fine. That doesn't mitigate the overarching conclusions from the report. Indeed, if Collin really has been on board and their revocation increase is overstated, that strengthens the evidence that the program mostly worked where applied.<br /><br />Also, to clarify, I did not say Bexar and Collin are "the only counties with the increaseing revocation rates." There are other counties that saw much smaller increases, but Bexar and Collin were outliers by a wide margin among the ten largest counties.<br /><br />Finally, the 2005 data Bob says was incorrect was provided by his own agency, regrettably, so I can't blame TDCJ-CJAD for using it, just as he said he didn't. Should they have changed it in ensuing reports? Maybe. I'll have a better sense after looking at the stuff he's sending.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1807986242653035052011-12-14T08:48:20.834-06:002011-12-14T08:48:20.834-06:00It is hard for me to believe that Bexar and Collin...It is hard for me to believe that Bexar and Collin County are the only counties with the increaseing revocation rates?<br /><br />If Collin County numbers are off, doesn't that make everybody's numbers questionable?<br /><br />GFB - would be a little hesitant to publish numbers from "CJAD" if in fact these numbers aren't accurate and still incorrect since 2005.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-61261578281341377052011-12-14T07:56:09.918-06:002011-12-14T07:56:09.918-06:00Bob, would you mind emailing the stuff you sent to...Bob, would you mind emailing the stuff you sent to CJAD and the UNT report to me at shenson[at]austin.rr.com? Be sure and include what you think the real 2005 figure should have been under your newer methodology.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting; I'm pleased to hear the outlier figure from Collin might be overstated and yall's problems may not be so grave.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-11541588715606476962011-12-14T07:37:56.158-06:002011-12-14T07:37:56.158-06:00Grits, Collin County takes a hit every time this r...Grits, Collin County takes a hit every time this report comes out due to an inaccurate 2005 revocation number. As the Director I have disputed the 2005 number every year since I took over in Collin County in August 2006. I have sent documentation to CJAD multiple times and will share that information with anyone who cares to see it. <br /><br />Granted the 2005 number given to CJAD was inaccurate due to an antiquated software system we no longer use. Nevertheless my attempts to change the inaccurate number has failed and CJAD continues to roll out a skewed report. <br /><br />We have had a progressive sanction model here for years and take it very seriously. We have been audited by CJAD multiple times in recent years and faired quite well on each review. In addition I had The University of North Texas come in and complete a study on our revocation cases and no glaring issues were found. Incidentally the the UNT report was sent to CJAD as well and I heard nothing from them. If you compare our revocation numbers year to year (excluding the inaccurate 2005 number) we stack up well with any county. We espouse the philosophy of filing on the right defendants keeping public safety in the forefront. <br /><br />Grits, this is not sour grapes on my part. I do not want to throw CJAD under the bus because I believe they work very hard at what they do. Carey Welebob and her staff at CJAD have a tough job and I do not envy their position. I just want to express the revocation issue is more complex than comparing some statistical data and drawing conclusions that CSCDs are not doing their job. <br /><br />I have several issues with the way revocation numbers are viewed and reported to the LLB and would be happy to talk with you about my concerns. My number is on our website give me a call.Bob Hughesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-9182964667266217972011-12-13T18:20:36.416-06:002011-12-13T18:20:36.416-06:00Thanks 4:47, I don't know why I always have a ...Thanks 4:47, I don't know why I always have a brain fart when it comes to the Collin County seat, which of course is McKinney. Fixed it.<br /><br />Thanks for the copyediting.<br /><br />Good comment, TPO, I couldn't agree more about all the fees, etc..Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-76382822933886258692011-12-13T16:47:23.733-06:002011-12-13T16:47:23.733-06:00Grits said "From 2005-2011, felony revocation...Grits said "From 2005-2011, felony revocations increased 79.5% in Bexar County (San Antonio) and 99.6% in Collin County (Denton). "<br /><br />I believe Denton is in Denton County.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-10124997316647871872011-12-13T16:28:17.089-06:002011-12-13T16:28:17.089-06:00Grits said: "So the idea of using financial i...Grits said: "So the idea of using financial incentives to local government to reduce state incarceration rates actually worked."<br /><br />In my own Department, I know our reduction in felony revocations, especially for those involved in programs utilizing diversion funding, was less about a financial incentive and more about funding that helped create programs for these program participants or funding that paid for contracted treatment/education services that were sorely needed or under-utilized prior to receiving the funds since probationers were required to foot the bill in those days. We've known for years that if probationers complete rounds of substance abuse treatment or other forms of counseling to deal with their needs/issues the more likely they are to succeed. But TDCJ and the Lege for years stood firm on the idea that probationers should have to pay their court costs, fine, appointed attorney's fees, restitution, Crime Stoppers fee, urinalysis fees, monthly probation fees, and all program fees. Blood from a turnip? Is that possible in Austin?A Texas POhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05675916968621862855noreply@blogger.com