Report 2020-102 Recommendation 20 Responses

Report 2020-102: Public Safety Realignment: Weak State and County Oversight Does Not Ensure That Funds Are Spent Effectively (Release Date: March 2021)

Recommendation #20 To: State and Community Corrections, Board of

To ensure that the county Partnership Committees report consistent and complete, and comparable information regarding their public safety realignment funding and activities, by September 2021 the Corrections Board should develop and implement a process to review and analyze the information that counties provide about their realignment activities and expenditures each year.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

The BSCC's Ninth Annual Report on the Implementation of Community Corrections Partnership Plans (July 2021 and each report thereafter) included two new sections:

1. Data Collection Method - provided a brief description of the method for collecting information from counties on the implementation of their CCP plans.

2. Statewide Summary of Key Information - provided a summary of survey information received from the counties focusing on the CCP composition, evaluation of programs and services, percent of funds allocated toward the use of evidence-based practices, types of programs, and services offered.

These two new sections will be included in the Tenth Annual Report on the Implementation of Community Corrections Partnership Plans (July 2022).

Please see the link as follows:

https://www.bscc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021-Community-Corrections-Partnership-FINAL.pdf.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Although the Corrections Board asserts that it provided additional analysis of county realignment activities and expenditures, it did not provide us with documentation to support its claims. In fact, the July 2021 Partnership Committee report, which the Corrections Board references in its response, clearly states that it completed the 2020 Partnership Committee surveys prior to the release of our audit. As a result, the Corrections Board has not demonstrated that it has developed a process to ensure the counties' Partnership Committees are reporting consistent, complete, and comparable information regarding their public safety realignment funding and activities. Until the Corrections Board provides us with documentation that demonstrates its additional analysis of realignment activities and expenditures, we will continue to report this recommendation as not fully implemented.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From March 2023

The BSCC's Ninth Annual Report on the Implementation of Community Corrections Partnership Plans (July 2021) included two new sections:

1. Data Collection Method - provided a brief description of the method for collecting information from counties on the implementation of their CCP plans.

2. Statewide Summary of Key Information - provided a summary of survey information received from the counties focusing on the CCP composition, evaluation of programs and services, percent of funds allocated toward the use of evidence-based practices, types of programs, and services offered.

These two new sections will be included in the Tenth Annual Report on the Implementation of Community Corrections Partnership Plans (July 2022).

Please see the link as follows:

https://www.bscc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021-Community-Corrections-Partnership-FINAL.pdf.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Although the Corrections Board asserts that it provided additional analysis of county realignment activities and expenditures, it did not provide us with documentation to support its claims. In fact, the July 2021 Partnership Committee report, which the Corrections Board references in its response, clearly states that it completed the 2020 Partnership Committee surveys prior to the release of our audit. Further, the July 2022 Partnership Committee report does not clearly describe from which public safety realignment accounts that counties should report activities. As a result, the Corrections Board has not demonstrated that it has developed a process to ensure the counties' Partnership Committees are reporting consistent, complete, and comparable information regarding their public safety realignment funding and activities. Until the Corrections Board provides us with documentation that demonstrates its additional analysis of realignment activities and expenditures, we will continue to report this recommendation as not fully implemented.

1-Year Agency Response

The BSCC's Ninth Annual Report on the Implementation of Community Corrections Partnership Plans (July 2021) included two new sections:

1. Data Collection Method - provided a brief description of the method for collecting information from counties on the implementation of their CCP plans.

2. Statewide Summary of Key Information - provided a summary of survey information received from the counties focusing on the CCP composition, evaluation of programs and services, percent of funds allocated toward the use of evidence-based practices, types of programs, and services offered.

These two new sections will be included in the Tenth Annual Report on the Implementation of Community Corrections Partnership Plans (July 2022).

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

Although the Corrections Board asserts that it provided additional analysis of county realignment activities and expenditures, it did not provide us with documentation to support its claims. In fact, the July 2021 Partnership Committee report, which the Corrections Board references in its response, clearly states that it completed the 2020 Partnership Committee surveys prior to the release of our audit. As a result, the Corrections Board has not demonstrated that it has developed a process to ensure the counties' Partnership Committees are reporting consistent, complete, and comparable information regarding their public safety realignment funding and activities. Until the Corrections Board provides us with documentation that demonstrates its additional analysis of realignment activities and expenditures, we will continue to report this recommendation as not fully implemented.

6-Month Agency Response

For the 2021 CCP report, BSCC provided additional analysis of county realignment activities and expenditures. This CCP report was released on July 1, 2021.

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

Although the Corrections Board asserts that it provided additional analysis of county realignment activities and expenditures, it did not provide us with documentation to support its claims. In fact, the July 2021 Partnership Committee report, which the Corrections Board references in its response, clearly states that it completed the 2020 Partnership Committee surveys prior to the release of our audit. As a result, the Corrections Board has not demonstrated that it has developed a process to ensure the counties' Partnership Committees are reporting consistent, complete, and comparable information regarding their public safety realignment funding and activities. Until the Corrections Board provides us with documentation that demonstrates its additional analysis of realignment activities and expenditures, we will continue to report this recommendation as not fully implemented.

60-Day Agency Response

For the 2021 CCP report, BSCC will provide additional analysis of county realignment activities and expenditures. This CCP report will be released by July 1, 2021.

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

We look forward to reviewing Community Correction's additional analysis of county realignment activities and expenditures as part of its 6-month response.

All Recommendations in 2020-102

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.