Open recommendations
We have made these recommendations, but have not yet assessed their status.
| Recommendation | When we will assess it |
|---|---|
| Investigate the concerns raised in the countywide employee survey regarding belonging and report to department staff on findings and steps for improvement. | Spring 2026 |
| Investigate the concerns raised in the countywide employee survey regarding responding to discriminatory behavior and report to department staff on findings and steps for improvement. | Spring 2026 |
| Embed equity practices in all decision-making processes. | Spring 2026 |
Department of Community Justice: Jail sanctions are worsening inequities and outcomes
| Recommendation | When we will assess it |
|---|---|
| Reduce harmful impact of jail and revocation sanctions: PPOs should recommend jail and revocation for technical violations only for imminent and direct public safety threats. | Spring 2027 |
| Reduce harmful impact of jail and revocation sanctions: Create a policy that defines public safety threats with clear, measurable criteria and a procedure for PPOs with documentation requirements | Spring 2027 |
| Develop a strategy to prevent failures to report and absconding supervision: Develop a policy that defines minimum efforts that should be made to locate an individual by PPOs | Spring 2027 |
| Develop a strategy to prevent failures to report and absconding supervision: Provide and document resources and/or referrals to those at risk of absconding due to homelessness | Spring 2027 |
| Address disparities in sanctions and racial equity: Create public data dashboards updated quarterly with data about racial inequities related to sanctions and absconsions disaggregated by race, caseloads, and units. | Spring 2027 |
| Improve access to resources and referrals: Require staff to provide and document resources and referrals | Spring 2027 |
| Improve access to resources and referrals: Advocate to the Board for funding to expand low-barrier resource models like SARP for all high and very high-risk individuals on active supervision. | Spring 2027 |
| Improve access to resources and referrals: Advocate to the Board for funding to expand access to culturally responsive resources and referrals. | Spring 2027 |
| Improve access to resources and referrals: Consistently document needs like mental illness and homelessness and resources and/or referrals that address those needs | Spring 2027 |
| Improve access to resources for those with mental illness: Expand access to mental health treatment for all those in high-risk units through documented referrals and/or resources | Spring 2027 |
| Create a more consistent grievance process: Provide print materials for all those on supervision about the grievance process during the initial PPO intake meeting. Printed materials should include: i) how to submit a grievance complaint, ii) expected response time, iii) contact information for grievance complaint-related questions, and iv) who to contact if the issue is not resolved. | Spring 2027 |
| Create a more consistent grievance process: Implement two-year retention of grievances and documentation of follow-up, as required by the county’s records retention schedule. Formal and informal grievances and follow up should be documented. | Spring 2027 |
| Create a more consistent grievance process: Establish an online grievance submission process with an option for anonymous grievances. Track trends for the nature and frequency of the complaints. | Spring 2027 |
| Create a more consistent grievance process: Assign responsibility for tracking and investigating grievances to a central staff member. | Spring 2027 |
| Create a more consistent grievance process: Publish an annual report on grievance trends and send to DCJ Director and Board of County Commissioners | Spring 2027 |
| Report the following data to the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council and Board of Commissioners, as part of the biannual Community Corrections Plan approval process: Report on jail and revocation use for technical violations that are not for public safety reasons, disaggregated by race. | Spring 2027 |
| Report the following data to the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council and Board of Commissioners, as part of the biannual Community Corrections Plan approval process: Gather, analyze and report on data to determine trends on the reasons individuals fail to report or abscond supervision. | Spring 2027 |
| Report the following data to the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council and Board of Commissioners, as part of the biannual Community Corrections Plan approval process: Report how many people on supervision at DCJ are experiencing homelessness | Spring 2027 |
| Report the following data to the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council and Board of Commissioners, as part of the biannual Community Corrections Plan approval process: Report on racial disparities in sanctioning | Spring 2027 |
| Report the following data to the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council and Board of Commissioners, as part of the biannual Community Corrections Plan approval process: Evaluate and report on Effective Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) use among all PPOs as a measure of relationship and rapport | Spring 2027 |