Community Corrections

El Paso County Colorado 4 th Judicial District Community Corrections Five Year Summary Report FY 00-01 through FY 04-05 January 2007

Table of Contents Chapter 1 FORWARD 3 Chapter 2 OVERVIEW Statute Offenders Programs Standards Board 4 4 5 6 7 Chapter 3 ELIGIBILITY State Automatic Criteria Ineligibility 8 8 8 9 Chapter 4 REFERRALS Transition Diversion Condition of Parole 10 11 11 Chapter 5 FUNDING Bed Capacity and State Funding Paid for Services Department of Public Safety Department of Corrections Department of Corrections Special Services Cost Savings 12 13 14 15 16 Chapter 6 OFFENDER PROFILES AND SERVICES Residential Characteristics Placement Services Risk Level Employment and Collections 17 17 18 19 Chapter 7 PROGRAM OUTCOMES Residential Intensive Residential Treatment Non-Residential Length of Stay 20 21 21 22 2

Chapter 1 FORWARD This report has been prepared by the El Paso County Department of Justice Services. Henry Sontheimer, Director Judith Horose, Deputy Director Manda Smith, Community Corrections Manager (719) 520-6685 The report contains statistics for five fiscal years July 2000 through June 2005. This report covers the responsibilities and activities of the El Paso County Community Corrections Board which represents the 4 th Judicial District El Paso and Teller Counties. Data for this report comes from El Paso County Department of Justice Services Community Corrections database State of Colorado Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Justice Office of Community Corrections A copy of this Report, the 4 th Judicial District s Community Corrections Board s OFFENDER PLACEMENT REVIEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, referral forms, and other general information about community corrections is to be found at the Department s website http://adm.elpasoco.com/justice_services. 3

Chapter 2 OVERVIEW STATUTE Community Corrections is defined in Colorado Revised Statutes 17-27-102 as follows: Community corrections program means a community-based or community-oriented program that provides supervision of offenders pursuant to this article. Such program shall be operated by a unit of local government, the department, or any private individual partnership, corporation or association. Such program may provide residential or non-residential services for offenders, monitoring of the activities of offenders, oversight of victim restitution and community service by offenders, programs and services to aid offenders in obtaining and holding regular employment, in enrolling in and maintaining academic courses, in participating in vocational training programs, in utilizing the resources of the community, meeting the personal and family needs of such offenders, in obtaining appropriate treatment for such offenders, in participating in whatever specialized programs exist within the community, day reporting programs, and such other services and programs as may be appropriate to aid in offender rehabilitation and public safety. OFFENDERS Diversion refers to sentenced offenders in community corrections diverted from a cell in a Department of Corrections prison. While in residential community corrections, and subsequently, non-residential, these offenders remain under the jurisdiction of the District Courts which sentenced them. Transition refers to sentenced offenders in community corrections in transition between a Department of Corrections prison and the community before being placed on parole by the State Parole Board. While in residential community corrections, and subsequently, non-residential, these offenders remain under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections. Condition of Parole refers to the conditional release from prison on parole of a person to a community corrections placement before the expiration of his/her sentence. A parolee who violates terms of his/her parole may also be regressed to a community corrections program instead of going back to prison. These offenders remain under the authority of the Parole Board. Intensive Supervision is a form of non-residential community corrections used for probationers, parolees and State Department of Corrections inmates which requires close monitoring of offenders living and working independently in the community. The offenders must report frequently to their supervising agents of the State. Intensive Residential Treatment refers to a short-term intense residential program for transitional offenders before they enter a community program. 4

PROGRAMS El Paso County contracts with three programs for offender services. Two programs are private and one is operated by the El Paso County Sheriff s Office Gateways: Through the Rockies. ComCor, Inc. and Community Alternatives of El Paso County serve residential and non-residential diversion, transition, and condition of parole offenders as well as providing intensive supervision non-residential services for sentenced parole and community offenders and Intensive Residential Treatment services for transition and diversion offenders. ComCor, Inc. 3615 Roberts Road Colorado Springs CO 80907 (719) 473-4460 Community Alternatives of El Paso County Community Education Centers, Inc. 2945 East Las Vegas Street Colorado Springs CO 80906 (719) 390-1303 Gateways: Through the Rockies serves residential transition offenders in danger of being regressed to prison. Offenders are sent from community corrections placement for short-term incarceration to see if behavior can be modified sufficiently for continued stay. Failure to do so may result in a return to prison. Gateways: Through the Rockies El Paso County Sheriff s Office 205 South Cascade Avenue Colorado Springs CO 80903 (719) 520-7 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES SERVICE PROVIDERS opened ComCor, Inc. 1977 Community Alternatives of El Paso County 1997 Gateways: Through the Rockies 1998 for community corrections clients 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES American Correctional Association ACCREDITATION ComCor, Inc. 2002, 2005 residential Community Alternatives 2005 residential 2003, 2005 non-residential day report 2003, 2006 electronic monitoring 5

STANDARDS The first Governor s Community Corrections Advisory Council of 1986 was formed to assist the Division of Criminal Justice, Department of Public Safety, in adjusting from the frequent moves of the unit between Department of Corrections and Judicial and evaluating community corrections programs. One recommendation of that Council was to develop program standards to define minimum requirements for providers and establish measures of program accountability. The first set of standards for residential community corrections programs was issued in 1988 and revised in 1992; for non-residential services in 1991. A revision in 2002 added new standards to meet the demands of an expanding and changing system of community corrections and residential and non-residential standards have been combined into one set of standards. The most recent revisions were enacted in 2005. The Standards are designed to establish minimum levels of service within Colorado community corrections programs and to reduce risks associated with the management of offenders in the community. In May of 2004, the State of Colorado Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Justice Office of Community Corrections in cooperation with the Governor s Community Corrections Advisory Council published the Community Corrections Auditing Guidelines based on the revised Standards of 2002. This is a technical assistance tool intended to assist community corrections programs in their internal auditing to measure compliance with the Standards. The areas covered by the Standards are Administration, Security, Personnel, Facilities, Management Controls, and Case Management. A copy of the current Standards is available on-line at http://dcj.state.co.us/occ. When the State conducts official audits, it selects a sample of offender files, personnel files, and other official documents. In all cases, a sample is drawn that reasonably represents the program s business practices and can sufficiently be generalized to a broader scale. The State has implemented a schedule for auditing programs that are based on risk factors. Programs with low risk factors are audited less frequently than programs with higher risk factors. The Risk Factor Analytic Model incorporates four outcome factors: program performance, offender outcomes, contract and statutory compliance, and program stability. The total risk factor score is calculated by adding up the scores from each of the 27 performance measures. Programs that score at or above the Stateside median score are placed into the medium-high or high-risk category and will be audited at intervals not to exceed three years. Programs who scored below were placed into the medium-low or low risk category and are audited at intervals not to exceed five years. When program audits are conducted in the 4 th Judicial District, Community Corrections Board staff and members participate with the State and provide follow-up audits to ensure compliance. 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES STATE PROGRAM AUDIT RISK FACTOR SCORES most recent 2004 ComCor, Inc. Diversion MED-LOW Transition LOW Community Alternatives of EPC Diversion-Transition MED-HI (Programs with lower scores are audited less frequently) 6

Community Corrections Board is defined in Colorado Revised Statutes 17-27-102. BOARD The Board determines which offenders can safely be placed in the community; who can operate a community corrections program; under what conditions an offender can participate in a program; and, in concert with the Colorado Community Corrections Standards Revised July 1, 2005, the standards by which a service provider can operate a facility. The Board also monitors programs and oversees compliance with State and local standards; recommends contracts and reception of grants; and advises El Paso County Board of County Commissioners on work release and other community corrections matters. The Board membership includes representatives from nine system agencies - El Paso County Sheriff, State Department of Corrections Office of Community Corrections and Adult Parole, Pikes Peak Mental Health Center, Public Defender, Teller County, Colorado Springs Police Department, 4 th Judicial District District Attorney, Chief Probation Officer, and District Court Judge - as well as six citizens appointed by the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners. The Board is staffed by the Community Corrections Division of the El Paso County Department of Justice Services. The Board reviews referred cases once a week and meets monthly on the second Wednesday of each month. Offenders who meet Board-developed criteria are considered acceptable for placement upon acceptance by a service provider, without further Board review. Other offenders not meeting criteria but accepted by a provider must be reviewed by the Board. At the monthly meetings, the Board has a half-hour Study Session on topics of interest and importance to the Board duties and responsibilities. The Board, over the course of a calendar year, meets at least once at each of the three service provider facilities and those meetings Study Sessions provide an opportunity for the provider to showcase new programs and developments as well as a chance to tour the facility. In addition, the Board has had several yearly retreats and has taken tours of many State facilities. 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS BOARD STUDY SESSIONS examples offender assessment Correctional Program Assessment Inventory Board decision-making drug and alcohol treatment out-of-district referrals non-residential services recidivism sex offender assessment and management length of stay ACA accreditation victim rights program auditing. matching assessed need and treatment reading State forms information need to make informed decisions Intensive Residential Treatment program State audits and reports women in community corrections restorative justice dual diagnosis 7

Chapter 3 ELIGIBILITY STATE One of the underlying premises of community corrections in Colorado is that it is an alternative to a State prison sentence. Since1999, the Department of Public Safety has conducted annual surveys on diversion residential offenders. The purpose is to identify the number of diversion offenders who, absent the availability of community corrections, would be sentenced to the Department of Corrections. Cases are considered inappropriate placements if they do not meet one or more of the following criteria: 1. The offender has two or more prior felonies at time of sentencing. 2. The current conviction is a felony sex offense. 3. The community corrections placement is the result of the offender s probation revocation. 4. The offender s conviction represents a class 2 or class 3 felony. 5. The offender s placement is the result of a sentence reconsideration. 6. Pre-Sentence Investigation Report recommendation is for community corrections or prison. According to these measures, the State has determined that the 4 th Judicial District placements are appropriate 94% of the time. AUTOMATIC The Community Corrections Board s policy is that all Diversion referrals come to the Department of Justice Services. The referral is then forwarded to one of the two main providers based on the allocation of available funds. Transition referrals are sent first to the provider from the Department of Corrections and their decisions are communicated to the Department of Justice Services. If the referral is approved by the provider, the Board ratifies that decision at their meeting. CRITERIA The following cases, however, if approved by a provider, must also be formally reviewed and approved by the Community Corrections Board. Any offender 1. having been convicted of a Class I or Class II felony. 2. having been previously convicted or currently charged or currently convicted of a crime of violence as defined C.R.S. 16-11-309 et. seq. (except escape), felony menacing as defined in C.R.S. 18-3-206, and current felony charges with violence defined as physical force or the abusive or unjust exercise of power exerted for the purpose of violating, damaging or abusing. 8

3. having been convicted of possession or distribution of more than twenty-eight (28) grams (1 oz.) of cocaine as defined in C.R.S. 18-18-105. 4. who has been charged with a felony offense(s) who has not yet entered a plea or has entered a not guilty plea and awaits trial or other judicial proceeding. Deferred prosecutions or sentences are not eligible for placement without review of the Board. 5. diversion or transition, that has been adjudicated in a court other than the 4 th Judicial District. 6. transition, who is currently or was previously convicted of felony sexual assault except those who meet the Transition Sexual Offender Guidelines for acceptance. 7. diversion, currently or previously convicted of felony sexual assault except those admitted to a certified sex offender program. 8. whose victim/s requests notification and asks to provide information pursuant to the Victim s Right Amendment to the Colorado Constitution. 9. whose present offense, criminal history, correctional performance or treatment diagnosis indicate that they represent a serious threat to the community or that they will fail in a community placement. INELIGIBLITY The following individuals are not eligible for placement review by the Community Corrections Board and are not to be approved for placement in the El Paso County community corrections program(s). Defendants/offenders 1. who have not entered a guilty plea or been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor in a Colorado court except those cases to be dismissed as part of a plea agreement. 2. on probation who have not admitted to a violation of probation or had their probation revoked by a judge after a complaint for revocation has been filed by a probation officer. 3. whose cases are being returned to the sentencing courts on 35B Motions for Reconsideration of Sentence and in which the motions have not yet been filed with the courts. The formal motions must be filed with the sentencing courts before the offenders can be reviewed by the Community Corrections Board. 4. with active felony or Immigration and Naturalization Service detainers. 5. who have not been referred by sentencing court of the State of Colorado as either a direct sentence or as a condition of probation including 35B Motions for Reconsideration of Sentence or probation department of the 4 th Judicial District when community corrections is a viable sentencing alternative within the open sentencing range and is consistent with a plea agreement or Colorado Department of Corrections as a transitional referral or the Colorado Board of Parole as a condition of parole. 9

Chapter 4 REFERRALS TRANSITION includes Intensive Residential Treatment Referral Source: DOC TRANSITION Fiscal Year Result Number % FY 04-05 Accept Auto 346 Criteria 374 Reject Auto 293 Criteria 1,555 FY 03-04 Accept Auto 183 Criteria 338 Reject Auto 287 Criteria 1,623 FY 02-03 Accept Auto 125 Criteria 246 Reject Auto 249 Criteria 1,335 FY 01-02 Accept Auto 122 Criteria 205 Reject Auto 131 Criteria 652 FY 00-01 Accept Auto 115 Criteria 188 Reject Auto 191 Criteria 609 720 1,848 2,568 521 1,910 2,431 371 1,584 1,955 327 783 1,110 303 800 1,103 28 72 21 79 19 81 29 71 27 73 Nonviolent inmates are eligible for referral to community 19 months prior to parole eligibility date. If approved, they are eligible for placement 16 months prior to their parole eligibility date. Time frames for violent inmates (CRS 16-11-309) are 9 and 6 months prior to parole eligibility date respectfully. Criteria rejects include both cases rejected by the service provider (which were not presented to the Community Corrections Board) and cases accepted by the provider and rejected by the Board. 10

DIVERSION Referral Source: District Courts DIVERSION Fiscal Year Result Number % FY 04-05 Accept Auto 439 Criteria 152 Reject Auto 213 Criteria 333 FY 03-04 Accept Auto 374 Criteria 158 Reject Auto 199 Criteria 360 FY 02-03 Accept Auto 339 Criteria 170 Reject Auto 171 Criteria 308 FY 01-02 Accept Auto 264 Criteria 219 Reject Auto 152 Criteria 394 FY 00-01 Accept Auto 252 Criteria 205 Reject Auto 137 Criteria 314 591 546 1137 532 559 1091 509 479 988 483 546 1,029 457 451 908 52 48 49 51 52 48 47 53 50 50 Referrals come from defense attorneys and upon recommendation of probation officers, by order of the court. One half of all diversion referrals are accepted in the 4 th Judicial District. CONDITION OF PAROLE CONDITION OF PAROLE Referral Source: Parole Board Fiscal Year Result Number % FY 04-05 Accept Auto 13 Criteria 6 19 Reject Auto 3 Criteria 6 9 28 FY 03-04 Accept Auto 15 Criteria 7 Reject Auto 9 Criteria 11 FY 02-03 Accept Auto 10 Criteria 7 Reject Auto 14 Criteria 14 FY 01-02 Accept Auto 6 Criteria 17 Reject Auto 1 Criteria 7 22 20 42 17 28 45 23 8 31 68 32 52 48 38 62 74 26 FY 00-01 Accept Auto 3 Criteria 13 16 80 Reject Auto 1 Criteria 3 4 20 20 11

Chapter 5 FUNDING BED CAPACITY AND STATE FUNDING The funding for community corrections is allocated on a yearly basis by the Joint Budget Committee of the State of Colorado Legislature. Contracts for funds have the same duration as the State fiscal year, July 1 through June 30. The amount of State community corrections dollars received by the 4 th Judicial District from the Colorado Department of Public Safety (DPS) has grown in response to increases in local bed capacity and the corresponding need of the community. 4 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT funded residential beds funded non-residential slots FY FY FY FY FY % change 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 over period 287 279 271 287 319 +11% 111 115 146 137 135 + 22% IRT beds 16 23 25 21 20 +25% funded beds/slots* 414 417 442 445 474 + 15% State CC funds received** $4,377,135 $4,519,991 $4,328,319 $4,403,639 $4,658,415 + 6% (% of State total) (12.6%) (12.6%) (11.6%) (12.4%) (12.4%) * Each funded residential bed or non-residential slot represents 365 days of funding at the prevailing per diem rate set by the State for that service. ** Includes funding to purchase both residential and non-residential services and does not include administrative funds which are used by the contracting agent, the County, to support Community Corrections Board operations. Based on end of fiscal year amounts, including increases or decreases in funds granted by State. $ PER DAY Residential Non-Residential IRT FY 00-01 36.80 5.12 54.14 FY 01-02 37.72 5.12 55.49 FY 02-03* 34.70 4.71 51.05 FY 03-04 34.70 4.71 51.05 FY 04-05 34.70 5.12 51.05 *State reduced per diems by 8% effective April 2003 12

4 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT PAID FOR SERVICES for Department of Public Safety FY 00-01 FY 01-02 FY 02-03 FY 03-04 % FY change 04-05 over period ComCor, Inc. $2,604,448 $2,711,850 $2,771,652 $2,857,596 $3,039,145 Community Alternatives of El Paso County $1,702,462 $1,711,246 $1,473,914 $1,460,111 $1,545,643 Gateways: Through the Rockies $52,108 $61,484 $64,963 $80,816 $67,873 OTHER Noncontract $18,117 $35,411 $17,790 $5,116 $5,754 $4,377,135 $4,519,991 $4,328,319 $4,403,639 $4,658,415 + 6% Based on actual amounts paid for services. 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES In FY 04-05, the 4th Judicial District received 12.4% of the total funds distributed statewide by the Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice for community corrections services. The table below shows how the 4 th JD compares to the State on other key indicators. Population (7/1/05 est.) Court Commitments to DOC (FY 03-04) Dist. Court Crim. Filings (FY 04-05) 4 th Judicial Dist. 587,689 788 6,749 Colorado 4,722,460 5,808 45,405 4 th JD percent 12.4% 13.4% 14.9% 13

for Department of Corrections 4 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT FY FY FY FY FY % change 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 over period ISPI Funds ISPP Funds ComCor, Inc. $77,454 $82,189 $152,740 $140,835 $169,816 Comm y Alt. of EPC $154,083 $180,714 $133,245 $90,449 $146,630 ComCor, Inc. $45,156 $39,675 $54,673 $60,403 $58,500 Comm y Alt. of EPC $38,133 $52,728 $64,035 $59,130 $80,663 +37% +67% DOC Funds $314,826 $355,306 $404,693 $350,817 $455,609 +45% Based on actual amounts paid for services. 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES Percent of Original* Allocation spent ISPI ~ Intensive Supervision Program Inmate ISPP ~ Intensive Supervision Program Parole FY 00-01 118% FY 00-01 198% FY 01-02 172% FY 01-02 111% FY 02-03 97% FY 02-03 135% FY 03-04 94% FY 03-04 94% FY 04-05 129% FY 04-05 102% *Original allocation was increased 4 of the 5 years. The DOC may direct additional funding during the year to judicial districts where there is increased demand for services and the local providers have the capacity to serve additional offenders. 14

for Department of Corrections Special Services INTENSIVE RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT and REMEDIATION SPECIAL SERVICES Referral Source: various Fiscal Year 45 days Intensive Residential Treatment CCI CAE Offenders Served 60 to 90 days (75 day average) Transition Remediation GTR Residential FY 04-05 149 29 FY 03-04 202 30 FY 02-03 195 22 FY 01-02 188 22 FY 00-01 129 18 Totals 863 121 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES Department of Public Safety Percent of original* Allocation Spent FY 00-01 99% FY 03-04 99% FY 01-02 % FY 04-05 101% FY 02-03 99% * Original allocation was increased 1 of the 5 years. DCJ reallocates funds mid-contract to match offender placement patterns. 15

COST SAVINGS Community corrections provides an alternate type of residential placement for convicted offenders who would otherwise be housed in a State prison. Over the five-year period in the 4 th Judicial District ~ total cost savings to the taxpayer over 5 years by using community corrections was $ 20,715,972 average annual cost savings per community corrections offender was $13,756 DOC average annual cost to house offender in DOC COMMUNITY average annual cost to house offender in CC DIFFERENCE annual cost difference between DOC and CC POPULATION average residential CC population in 4 th Judicial District COST SAVINGS annual cost savings to state FY FY FY FY FY % change 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 over period $26,254 $27,295 $28,218 $26,248 $26,812 +2% $13,432 $13,768 $13,493 $12,666 $12,666-6% $12,822 $13,527 $14,725 $13,583 $14,147 + 10% 303 302 287 295 319 + 5% $3,885,202 $4,085,124 $4,226,075 $4,006,838 $4,512,734 + 16% These numbers do not include IRT or non-residential placements. 16

Chapter 6 OFFENDER PROFILES AND SERVICES Residential CHARACTERISTICS About 91% of offenders are serving time for a Class 3, 4, or 5 felony. The most common conviction offenses are drugs, theft, burglary and assault. The ethnic profile of offenders has remained constant over the past five years, as follows: 59% white, 22% black, 16% Hispanic, 3% other. Women account for 20% of clients over the past five years, but their percentage is growing. Prior adult felony convictions of community corrections offenders in FY 2004-05: 35% none; 18% one; 18% two; 29% three or more About 10% of offenders in FY 04-05 were convicted in a county other than El Paso or Teller. PLACEMENT SERVICES Community Corrections offenders receive a wide range of treatment services while in residential placement. Services may be delivered in-house or accessed through communitybased agencies and providers. Offenders are required to participate in specific treatment programs based on their offense. Offenders who lack a high school diploma are required to work towards their GED. Offenders treatment needs are assessed at program intake. In FY 04-05, substance abuse treatment was the highest priority treatment need for almost half of the offenders, followed by academic/vocational and money management. The following table indicates the percentage of offenders who completed residential placement in the 4th JD or statewide during FY 04-05, the most current year in this report, who received services in nine different areas. This list represents services which are tracked by the State. Offenders may have received additional services in other areas. 4th JD State Alcohol/Drug related 85% 73% Academic/Vocational 64 20 Money Management 60 22 Cognitive related 59 51 Domestic Violence/Anger related 29 20 Employment related 27 34 Mental Health related 20 19 Family/Marital 17 12 Sex Offender related 3 2 17

RISK LEVEL All community corrections offenders are assessed for risk level using a standardized tool the Level of Service Inventory (LSI). The LSI is administered by trained professionals in an interview setting. The LSI scale range is 0 to 54 with higher scores indicating a higher risk of recidivism. Offenders are classified as low, medium or high risk based on their LSI score. The risk profile of community corrections offenders placed in the 4th Judicial District has generally been rising over time, especially for transition offenders. For example, only 25% of transition offenders in FY 2000-01 were classified as high risk on the LSI; in FY 2004-05, 42% were classified as high risk. This increase is significant because offenders classified as high risk are more likely to fail in community corrections placement. In FY 2004-05 for example, 86% of transition offenders classified as low risk successfully completed residential community corrections, compared to 67% of offenders classified as medium risk and only 58% of those considered high risk. Percentage of residential Community Corrections clients at each LSI risk level Risk Level FY 00-01 FY 01-02 FY 02-03 FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Diversion Low 7% 4% 7% 7% 3% Medium 50% 42% 45% 47% 58% High 43% 54% 48% 45% 39% Transition Low 9% 4% 5% 5% 2% Medium 66% 52% 54% 46% 56% High 25% 45% 42% 49% 42% Importance of the Risk Principle in Selecting Offenders for Community Corrections Placement One of the established principles of correctional intervention is that the intensity of services and supervision should be matched to the level of offender risk. * Relatively intense interventions such as residential community corrections placement should be reserved for high risk offenders, and not for lower risk offenders who could safely be maintained on probation or parole. Over-sanctioning lower risk offenders not only wastes correctional resources, but may actually increase the probability of reoffending. The Community Corrections Board receives about 3 to 4 referrals for every available residential bed, but does not simply accept the least serious offenders for placement. Rather, the Board considers and accepts medium to high risk offenders who the Board and the halfway house providers believe can be safely maintained in the community. Increasing the Effectiveness of Correctional Programming Through the Risk Principle: Identifying Offenders for Residential Placement. By Christopher T. Lowenkamp and Edward J. Latessa. 4(2) Criminology and Public Policy (2005). 18

EMPLOYMENT AND COLLECTIONS Community Corrections offenders are required to maintain employment, pay room and board, satisfy financial obligations such as court costs and restitution, and accumulate savings. The following is a summary of offender earnings and payments for 4 th Judicial District community corrections clients while in residential placement for the period from FY 00-01 to FY 04-05: AVERAGE OFFENDER ALL OFFENDERS COLLECTIVELY PER STAY 177 days OVER 5 YEARS Earnings: $ 6,828 Earnings: $ 16,496,760 Payments: Payments: Taxes $ 641 Taxes $ 1,266,188 Restitution 422 Restitution 689,266 Room & Board* 2,306 Room & Board* 5,667,967 * By law, offenders may be assessed a subsistence fee which is paid to the community corrections provider to supplement the per diem which is paid by the State. This fee was set at $13 per day for residential community corrections clients for the first half of the five-year period covered in this report, and was increased to $17 per day beginning in FY 03-04. In FY 04-05, community corrections clients in the 4 th JD paid an average of $14.06 per day to the providers, meaning clients satisfied 83% of their subsistence obligation of $17 per day. 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES In FY 04-05, males in residential community corrections earned $929 per month on average, compared to females who earned $773 per month. This gender gap in earnings is smaller than in previous years, but women still only earn 83% as much as men, on average. Despite their lower earnings, females met their obligation to pay room and board at essentially the same rate as males. 19

Chapter 7 PROGRAM OUTCOMES Residential From FY 00-01 to FY 04-05 in the 4 th Judicial District ~ 3,246 offenders completed residential placement. 55% of offenders successfully completed residential placement. - 63% of Transition offenders succeeded (statewide average = 61%) - 48% of Diversion offenders succeeded (statewide average = 52%) The most common reason for failure was a violation of program rules (e.g., drinking, drug use). 15% of terminations were the result of an escape (statewide average = 14%). 2% of terminations were the result of a new criminal charge, mostly for non-violent crimes (statewide average = 1%). RECIDIVISM Post-Release Outcomes The State of Colorado conducted a study of Community Corrections program outcomes and recidivism in 2006. All offenders who successfully completed residential community corrections between July 1, 2000 and June 30, 2004 were included in the study. Fifteen percent of these offenders incurred a new misdemeanor or felony filing within one year of their release from community corrections, and 25% incurred a new criminal filing within two years of release. The study did not control for naturally occurring risk levels among the offenders served by each program; thus program-by-program comparisons may not be valid. The two programs in the 4th JD had recidivism rates which were close to the statewide averages and were comparable to the rates for other programs which served offenders of similar risk levels. The report is available from the CO Division of Criminal Justice at: http://dcj.state.co.us/ors/pdf/docs/comm_corr_05_06.pdf. 20

Intensive Residential Treatment Intensive Residential Treatment (IRT) is a short-term intense residential program designed for high-needs transitional offenders before they enter a traditional community corrections program. IRT is a 45-day substance use/abuse treatment program and the clients do not spend any unsupervised time in the community. Most IRT clients are referred as a condition of release, meaning that they must successfully complete the program before moving to residential community corrections. The balance of clients are referred because of a technical violation, new crime or escape. Both ComCor, Inc and Community Alternatives of El Paso County operate IRT programs. The current per diem for IRT placement is $51.05. Over the period from FY 02-03 to FY 03-04 in the 4 th JD: 399 offenders completed IRT, with a successful program completion rate of 97% About 95% of program completers were subsequently admitted to a community corrections program with most of the remainder discharged to parole supervision Almost one-third (31%) of IRT clients had a previous IRT placement and 69% had previous substance abuse treatment 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES INTENSIVE RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT 388 of 399 offenders successfully completed the program from FY 02-03 to FY 03-04 Non-Residential After successfully completing the residential program, offenders live on their own with continuous monitoring by the service provider. This non-residential phase provides a transitional bridge between residential community placement and discharge to parole supervision. Both ComCor, Inc and Community Alternatives of El Paso County operate nonresidential programs. The current per diem for non-residential placement is $5.12. Over the period from FY 02-03 to FY 03-04 in the 4 th JD: 245 offenders completed non-residential placement, 45% of them successfully 26% of non-residential clients were regressed back to residential community corrections placement due to unsatisfactory performance or progress The remaining clients were terminated from non-residential placement for technical violations (13%), escape (7%), a new crime (7%), or other reason (2%) The average length of stay in non-residential placement was about one year About 93% of non-residential clients were employed full-time at program entry with another 5% employed part-time Clients collectively earned over $3 million and paid over $297,000 in taxes and $179,000 in restitution Clients in the 4 th JD satisfied 48% of their restitution obligation in FY 02-03 and 33% of their obligation in FY 03-04, compared to the FY 03-04 statewide average of 18%. 21

LENGTH OF STAY: RESIDENTIAL An offender s length of stay in residential placement depends on many factors, including their length of sentence, treatment needs, progress in treatment, and availability of a suitable residence where they can move after they leave the halfway house. The average length of stay in the 4 th JD declined by 15% from FY 2000-01 to FY 2004-05, bringing the district more in line with statewide averages. Shorter lengths of stay allow the 4th JD to serve more offenders per year, an important consideration because the demand for community corrections far outstrips the funded bed capacity. The following length of stay information is an average of the 5 years covered in this report. 4 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT STATEWIDE Diversion offenders Diversion offenders Successful completion 253 days Successful completion 229 days Other completion 127 Other completion 130 Overall 188 Overall 181 Transition offenders Transition offenders Successful completion 191 Successful completion 193 Other completion 123 Other completion 118 Overall 166 Overall 165 All offenders All offenders Successful completion 219 Successful completion 210 Other completion 125 Other completion 125 OVERALL 177 OVERALL 173 4 TH JD FACTS AND FIGURES AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY FY 2004-05 All clients: successful and unsuccessful, diversion and transition RESIDENTIAL NON-RESIDENTIAL INTENSIVE RESIDENTIAL 159 days 377 days 42 days 22