Report 2014-125 Recommendation 7 Responses

Report 2014-125: California Department of State Hospitals: It Could Increase the Consistency of Its Evaluations of Sex Offenders by Improving Its Assessment Protocol and Training (Release Date: March 2015)

Recommendation #7 To: State Hospitals, Department of

To ensure that it has the data necessary to inform its training and supervision of evaluators, State Hospitals should identify the most efficient means for obtaining the outcomes of past trials—at least the outcomes of three years of past trials if possible—and should ensure that it includes such outcomes in its database by March 2016. Additionally, by June 2015 it should establish procedures to ensure that it promptly collects the outcomes from current and future trials. Finally, State Hospitals should develop procedures to analyze these data at least twice annually to identify any trends in cases in which the courts' determinations differed from the State Hospitals evaluators' recommendations. It should use this information to provide training and supervision where they are most needed.

6-Month Agency Response

In June 2015, DSH established and formalized a procedure to ensure collection of outcomes from current and future trials. DSH identified three years of past trials and a method to collect the data. DSH developed a report from its database that effectively captures the trial outcome information.

In addition, DSH developed procedures based on the report to analyze the data at least twice annually to identify trends in which court determinations differed from evaluator recommendations.

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

State Hospitals provided documentation that it collected and analyzed court outcomes from January 2012 through January 2015 and calculated a rate at which court opinions and evaluator opinions disagreed. State Hospitals also provided us with a procedure finalized in November 2015 that directs a data and research unit to update a report of trial outcomes versus evaluator decisions at least twice yearly. According to State Hospitals, it developed this procedure in June 2015. State Hospitals also provided an October 2015 memo that directs the chief psychologist and program chief to analyze the trial outcome data and make recommendations related to needed quality assurance measures.

60-Day Agency Response

DSH has established and formalized a procedure to ensure

collection of outcomes from current and future trials. DSH has identified three years of past trials where DSH does not have a trial outcome and will identify a method to collect the data. DSH will by March 2016 make modifications to its database so that it can effectively capture the trial outcome information and develop procedures to analyze the data at least twice annually to identify trends in which court determinations differed from evaluator recommendation and use this information for training and supervisory purposes.

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

All Recommendations in 2014-125

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.