Increase the number of training hours provided to community corrections, county corrections, and court personal to aid in professional development and continuing education requirements for the field.
KPI
Increase The Number Of Training Hours Provided By 5%
The CMIT Assistant Director maintains a spreadsheet of all trainings coordinated and hosted by the Institute. When a staff member completes hosting/facilitating a training, information regarding the training, such as number of participants and number of training hours provided, is submitted to the Assistant Director and is updated to the CMIT Training Spreadsheet. CMIT is striving to increase the number of training hours provided to the field of corrections by 5% from FY 2014 to 3,633 hours in FY 2015.
Result
CMIT Did Not Meet Our Goal To Increase Professional Development Opportunities
CMIT did not meet our goal to increase professional development opportunities by 5%, due to several reasons. Adult Probation Certification Trainings were suspended during FY15 due to curriculum changes; several programs have been in a revamping process; additionally, CMIT experienced numerous staff changes, resulting in a decrease in training offerings.
Action
CMIT Will Continue To Develop And Deliver Trainings
CMIT will continue to work on improving our marketing of events through social media, list serves, and our organization’s website. We will ensure marketing material provides all the pertinent information needed for our audience. Additionally, we will also utilize technology in our trainings, such as, more internet broadcasts and online training to aid our agencies which may have budget constraints. The Institute will continue to work closely with advisory councils to ensure we are providing training on topics which are needed.
CMIT is currently assisting CJAD with curriculum changes and developing online components to training for Adult Probation Certification. Online training will increase the number of hours required for certification training, which will, in return, increase our number of training hours offered in FY16.
Additionally, CMIT recently took on two additional associations during late FY15. This will increase training hours in the future.
Goal
Building The Research Capacity And Reputation Of The Correctional Management Institute Of Texas
Building the Research Capacity and Reputation of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas
Objective
Expand External Research Funding Within CMIT
The Correctional Management Institute of Texas will enter into at least two research contracts that provide external funding for correctional research.
KPI
Completed Contracts With State Or Local Correctional Agencies For The Conduct Of Relevant Research By CMIT Staff And/or Affiliated Faculty Research
CMIT will enter into at least two research contracts for projects to be conducted by CMIT research staff and/or Faculty/CMIT funded students on behalf of local or state correctional agencies in the state, or nationwide.
Result
CMIT Entered Into One Contract During 2014-2015
One new contract was entered into during 2014-2015 which involved effort by CMIT Research Division staff. Specifically, a project to forecast Harris County’s jail population (item 1 below) involved a Research Affiliate (faculty member) and Research Associate. Also, CMIT Research Division Staff prepared two applications for NIJ funding to support program evaluations of two Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice reentry programs (items 2 and 3 below). We also finalized a research collaboration agreement with Texas Juvenile Justice Department, which establishes an ongoing research partnership between TJJD and SHSU (item 4).
Harris County Jail Population Forecast, 2014.
One-year contract – worth $14,000
Contract awarded from Harris County, Texas.
Principal Investigator Dr. Gaylene Armstrong (CMIT Research Affiliate), with the assistance of Ms. Liz Berger (CMIT Research Associate), developed projections for the county’s jail population over the next 10 years.
An Evaluation of a Texas Reentry Housing Program for Mentally Ill Parolees
Three-year contract - worth $250,000
Grant submitted to National Institute of Justice in March, 2015
The grant requested funds will support intensive reentry services for offenders with mental illness, including provision of stable housing in Texas Parole Division-funded halfway houses after release to the community in Tarrant and Dallas Counties. Funds would be used to support research efforts by Principal investigator Dr. Jeff Bouffard, and one doctoral-level graduate research assistant funded through CMIT.
An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Texas Reentry Program for Mentally Ill Parolees.
Two-year contract - worth $32,800
Grant submitted to National Institute of Justice in March, 2015.
The proposed project will expand upon services that target the segment of the Texas parole population with persistent and severe and mental illness and special health care needs that have been placed in halfway houses in the Austin and Houston areas. Offenders with mental illness who reside in hallway houses are at increased risk for decompensation, thus leading to the need for acute services for stabilization and frequent hospitalizations. Persons with criminal histories, particularly those with multiple drug or violent offense convictions, who need mental healthcare, are likely to face greater difficulties locating integrated housing and are more likely to be dependent on public assistance. Funds would be used to support research efforts by Principal investigator Dr. Jeff Bouffard, and one doctoral-level graduate research assistant funded through CMIT.
An Affiliation Agreement for Texas Juvenile Justice Department Research Initiative.
Open-ended research collaboration agreement. No financial commitments.
Agreement signed by TJJD and SHSU on April 21, 2015.
The agreement establishes a cooperative Research Initiative program between TJJD and SHSU. The purposes of the Initiative are to address important juvenile justice-related needs of TJJD, provide useful research products to TJJD and policy-makers, and provide research training opportunities to SHSU graduate students and criminal justice faculty through cooperation and information-sharing between TJJD and SHSU.
Action
Continue Pursuing Contracts
CMIT will continue to pursue additional research opportunities by expanding on current projects with other agencies. CMIT will continue to pursue sources of funding other than external contracts. Additionally, CMIT plans to fill the vacancy of the research associate position to further utilize CMIT research capacity.
Objective
Raise Awareness Of CMIT Research Activities
CMIT research activities will be featured and distributed through the CMIT “Up to the Minute” ,(email newsletter) distribution of Research in Practice Briefs, and White Papers.
KPI
Publish (i.e., Send Via Email) CMIT
The CMIT “Up to the Minute” email newsletter containing information regarding current as well as upcoming activities and research initiatvies will be published and distributed monthly or bimonthly depending on content.
Result
CMIT Up To The Minute Was Discontinued
CMIT “Up to the Minute” was discontinued, such that no research updates were distributed through this manner. However, CMIT Research Division staff did produce and disseminate several other papers describing CMIT-related research activities (see below for a list).
KPI
Disseminate Quarterly Research In Practice Briefs And Or Topical
“Research in Practice Briefs” will describe research conducted by CMIT staff/COCJ Affiliated Faculty researchers/CMIT funded graduate student research assistants. White Papers will discuss emerging correctional issues or innovative programs that would benefit CMIT constituencies. These written products will be distributed to various constituencies (e.g., TADCP, APAI), as relevant to the content of each paper, via email. CMIT will produce and distribute these written products via email at least quarterly.
Result
CMIT Research Division Staff Produced And Disseminated Several Papers In 2014-2015
CMIT’s Research Associate position was vacant for a portion of the year, so “Research in Practice” briefs and White Papers were not produced, but CMIT Research Division staff did produce and disseminate several other papers describing CMIT-related research activities, listed here:
Bouffard, J.A., Berger, E., & Armstrong, G.S. The Effectiveness of Specialized Legal Counsel and Case Management Services for Offenders with Mental Illness. Submitted to Criminal Justice and Behavior.
Bouffard, J.A., & Cooper, M. (2015). Bell/Lampasas County, Texas Drug Court Program: Process and Outcome Evaluation Final Technical Report. Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX.
Bouffard, J.A. (2014). Montgomery County’s Managed Assigned Counsel/Mental Health Program: Final Technical Report. Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX.
Bouffard, J.A., Berger, E., & Niebuhr, N. (2014). Montgomery County’s Continuity of Care (COC) Court for Mentally Ill Probationers: Process Evaluation Final Technical Report. Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX.
Action
Continuing Pursuing Contracts
We will continue to pursue additional research opportunities by expanding on current projects with other agencies. CMIT will continue to pursue sources of funding other than external contracts.
Goal
Provide Women In Criminal Justice With Valuable And Effective Professional Development Training
Provide women in criminal justice with valuable and effective professional development training
Objective
Conference Participants Take Away Knowledge
Conference participants will take away knowledge regarding subject matter taught at conference to include: Public Speaking and Media Relations Gender Issues in the Jail Workplace: The Latest Data and Issues and What's Next? Understanding the Basics of Investing Defensive Tactics Communicating in Today's Society
Indicator
Speaker Evaluations
At the conclusion of each general and breakout session, participants will be asked to complete an evaluation for each speaker evaluating if the participant’s knowledge increased as a result of the presentation and if the knowledge gained directly applies to my job. Each of these areas is evaluated using “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “Disagree”, and “Strongly Disagree”.
Criterion
85% Should Be Strongly Agree Or Agree
The goal is that 85% of the responding participants will rate each measure at “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” for 85% of the speakers.
Finding
Speaker Evaluation Results
Based on 1172 evaluations pertaining to 18 speaker, which were completed during the 2015 Women in Criminal Justice Conference, 97% of the participants “Agreed” and “Strongly Agreed” with the following statements: “knowledge increased as a result of the presentation” and “knowledge gained directly applies to my job”.
Action
Changes To The 2016 Event
The Women in Criminal Justice Advisory Council met and determined that several of the presentations would be repeated in 2016 based on the continued need of the field. The presentations will be updated to include current issues. In addition, some sessions will be repeated an additional time to allow participants an opportunity to attend multiple classes.
The 2016 and 2017 conferences will be delivered in different locations, which could attract more participants and participants from other jurisdictions. The conference will also be adding two networking events that will be being sponsored by corrections agencies and/or exhibitors. We will have to luncheons that will include speakers, allowing for additional training hours.
Objective
Deliver Women In Criminal Justice Conference In April 2015
Develop and deliver the Women Criminal Justice Conference so that participants feel the speakers provide valuable information and the participants take away subject matter that is applicable to their career.
KPI
Speaker Evaluations
At the conclusion of each general and breakout session, participants will be asked to complete an evaluation for each speaker evaluating the speaker’s knowledge of the subject, if the content was logically organized and presented, and if there was enough time allotted for each presentation. Each of these areas is evaluated using “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “Disagree”, and “Strongly Disagree”. The goal is that 85% of the responding participants will rate each measure at “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” for 85% of the speakers.
KPI
Overall Conference Evaluations
At the conclusion of the conference, participants will be asked to complete the Overall Conference Evaluation. The participant will be able to rate the overall conference as “Excellent”, “Above Average”, “Average”, “Below Average”, or “Poor”. The evaluation also rates if the conference provided valuable information using the options “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “Disagree”, and “Strongly Disagree”. For the Overall Conference rating, the goal is that 85% of the respondents will rate the conference as “Excellent” or “Above Average”. The goal for the conference provided valuable information is that 85% of the responding participants will rate at “Strongly Agree” or “Agree”.
Action
Changes To The 2016 Event
The Women in Criminal Justice Advisory Council met and determined that several of the presentations would be repeated in 2016 based on the continued need of the field. The presentations will be updated to include current issues. In addition, some sessions will be repeated an additional time to allow participants an opportunity to attend multiple classes.
The 2016 and 2017 conferences will be delivered in different locations, which could attract more participants and participants from other jurisdictions. The conference will also be adding two networking events that will be being sponsored by corrections agencies and/or exhibitors. We will have to luncheons that will include speakers, allowing for additional training hours.