California Rehabilitation Oversight Board
SACRAMENTO – California Rehabilitation Oversight Board (C-ROB) recently held a public meeting at the California State University Sacramento Harper Alumni Center, at 7490 College Town Drive, to discuss several significant updates concerning the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) programs and services. C-ROB was established by Assembly Bill 900, the Public Safety and Offender Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007.Pursuant to Penal Code, Section 6141, C-ROB serves as a multi-disciplinary public board with members from various state and local entities to examine and report on rehabilitative programming provided to offenders and parolees by CDCR, including the implementation of an effective treatment model throughout the department. CDCR Secretary Scott Kernan serves as a board member.
The board submits their annual report on Sept. 15 to the Governor and the Legislature. Among other information reported in the meeting, the board discussed findings on the effectiveness of treatment efforts, rehabilitation needs of offenders, gaps in rehabilitation services and levels of offender participation.
Misty Polasik, C-ROB Executive Director, provided highlights from site visits by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to all 35 adult institutions from December 2015 to January 2016 and again May 2016 to June 2016. During visits, OIG staff observed rehabilitation programs, interviewed CDCR staff and spoke with inmates to collect feedback. Staff reported several highlights from the visits such as dedicated staff, increased rehabilitative programming, reentry center and substance-use disorder treatment expansions.
In the meeting, Chairperson Robert A. Barton led a discussion on the draft September 2016 Annual C-ROB report, followed by several updates from CDCR staff, including Jay Virbel, Director, Division of Rehabilitative Programs on the following program areas:
In the meeting, Chairperson Robert A. Barton led a discussion on the draft September 2016 Annual C-ROB report, followed by several updates from CDCR staff, including Jay Virbel, Director, Division of Rehabilitative Programs on the following program areas:
· 2015 CDCR Outcome Evaluation Report
http://external-affairs-news.blogspot.com/2016/08/new-report-californias-return-to-prison.html
http://external-affairs-news.blogspot.com/2016/08/new-report-californias-return-to-prison.html
· Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative
· Automated Rehabilitation Catalog and Information Discovery
Resource and Reentry Services
Resource and Reentry Services
· Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Sexual Offending program
· Office of Correctional Education Update on Community College Expansions
Secretary Scott Kernan and
C-ROB Chairperson Robert Barton, Inspector General,
Stephanie Santos, Training Director and Jackson
C-ROB Chairperson Robert Barton, Inspector General,
Stephanie Santos, Training Director and Jackson
Victoria Cavaliere, Program Director, Tender Loving Canines provided an update on their agency’s effort to provide assistance dogs to wounded warriors or individuals with autism in the community. The agency serves as a partner to CDCR to support offender rehabilitation. Currently six service dogs are placed with inmates for training at Richard J. Donovan Fire House. Four more dogs are scheduled for placement in 2017. There are several incentive based criteria for an inmate to be eligible, such as no crimes against animals, discipline free for 12 months, and the inmate must have a minimum of 24 months left to serve on their sentence.
Jackson and Murphy
Jackson and Murphy are eight-week old puppies that will participate in the Tender Loving Canines program. With voluntary rehabilitation programming in place at various locations, non-profit staff plan to compete for CDCR Innovative Programming Grants to create more opportunities to participate in the program.
To locate C-ROB Annual Reports and upcoming public meeting information, visit http://www.oig.ca.gov/
For more information about CDCR, contact Albert Rivas, Chief, Office of External
Affairs, at (916) 444-4950 or by email at Albert.Rivas@cdcr.ca.gov
Affairs, at (916) 444-4950 or by email at Albert.Rivas@cdcr.ca.gov