Report 2018-113 Recommendation 3 Responses

Report 2018-113: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Several Poor Administrative Practices Have Hindered Reductions in Recidivism and Denied Inmates Access to In‑Prison Rehabilitation Programs (Release Date: January 2019)

Recommendation #3 To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

To ensure that its CBT classes are effective at reducing recidivism, Corrections should amend its CBT contracts to require vendors to teach only evidence-based curricula as designated by Pew and should provide adequate oversight, including implementing UC Irvine's contract compliance recommendations, to ensure that its vendors adhere to this standard by January 2020.

1-Year Agency Response

CDCR/DRP has reviewed the CBT contracts in their entirety and is currently drafting the scope of work to be completed by July 2019. This revised scope will designate specific curricula to be used by the providers. All curricula is anticipated to be designated within the PEW Results First Clearinghouse at the intervention or curricula level or be shown to be evidence-based through research and application. These will be implemented through the state contracting process.

DRP has already implemented UC Irvine's Program Accountability recommendations and reviews beginning in January 2019 and trained and developed a Fidelity review schedule for fiscal year

2019-20.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

Corrections amended its CBT contracts and now requires vendors to teach only evidence-based curricula as designated by Pew. In addition, it has implemented a program accountability review reports to ensure the fidelity of in-prison rehabilitation programs.

6-Month Agency Response

CDCR/DRP has reviewed the CBT contracts in their entirety and is currently drafting the scope of work to be completed by July 2019. This revised scope will designate specific curricula to be used by the providers. All curricula is anticipated to be designated within the PEW Results First Clearinghouse at the intervention or curricula level or be shown to be evidence-based through research and application. These will be implemented through the state contracting process.

DRP has already implemented UC Irvine's Program Accountability recommendations and reviews beginning in January 2019 and trained and developed a Fidelity review schedule for the 2019-20 Fiscal Year.

The Program Accountability Review (PAR) tool was implemented in January 2019. The PAR tool was administered at all prisons between January and April 2019. The PAR memorandum sent to the CBT providers, training notices, analyst PAR schedule, and examples of PAR tool findings for two prisons will be submitted separately.

POP: Attachment D-In-Prison Program Accountability Review Tool; Attachment E-Training Notices PAR Tool; Attachment F-2019 PAR Travel Dates - In-Prison; Attachment G-CAL PAR and CAP 4.10.19; Attachment H- CCI PAR and CAP 3.28.19

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

CDCR/DRP has reviewed the CBT contracts in their entirety and is currently drafting the scope of work to be completed by May 2019. This revised scope will designate specific curricula to be used by the providers. All curricula is anticipated to be designated within the PEW Results First Clearinghouse at the intervention or curricula level or be shown to be evidence-based through research and application. These will be implemented through the state contracting process.

DRP has already implemented UC Irvine's Program Accountability recommendations and reviews beginning in January 2019 and plans on implementing Fidelity reviews/recommendations from UC Irvine by April 2019.

Memorandums and sample accountability and fidelity reports will be submitted to the State Auditor at the 6-month review.

Contract scope of work and executed contracts will be submitted to the State Auditor at the 1-year follow-up related to curricula/contract updates.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2018-113

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.