Stage 1 - Current Central Reporters and Non-Central Repo

Appendix B

Stage 1 – Current Central Reporters and Non-Central Reporters Protocol/Phone Script

DATE: ___ ___ / ___ ___ / 2019

Hello, my name is NAME. I’m calling from RTI International, on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. I understand that you have agreed to talk with me today about possible changes to the Annual Probation Survey. Thank you for agreeing to help us. Do you still have time to review the form with me today?

IF NO, OFFER TO RESCHEDULE

IF YES, CONTINUE

As you may know, BJS is considering changes to the Annual Probation Survey that will be used for future collection years. Specifically, the changes would allow BJS to collect and share data separately for supervised felons and supervised misdemeanants. During this call, I would like to learn whether your [agency/court] would be able to provide answers to the questions being considered.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

Prior to our call today, we sent a set of draft survey questions and a copy of your [agency’s/court’s] completed 2018 APS questionnaire [to AH_NAME]. Do you have the questionnaire with you?

NO [IF NO, PAUSE CALL AND EMAIL PDF OF QUESTIONS.]

YES

BJS has conducted the APS for nearly 40 years. [As you can see] the current version of the questionnaire focuses on the adult probation population, regardless of conviction status, who are legally your responsibility. Questions ask about the population count on January 1 and December 31, and for counts of entries and exits. Follow-up questions ask about the gender, race/ethnicity, most serious offense. One of the last questions on the survey asks for population counts by status (for example, active, inactive, absconder, etc.).

The current questionnaire asks [agencies/courts] to report counts of felons and misdemeanants together. For example, if you look at questions 1-7, you’ll see that they all ask for numbers of adult probationers regardless of offense type.

Now, we are considering collecting information about supervised felons and misdemeanants separately. If we make that change, there would be a version of Question 1 for felons and a version for misdemeanants. The same would be true for the other questions – so, on Question 6, we would ask for the number of felons who are male and the number of misdemeanants who are male, then the number of felons who are female and the number of misdemeanants who are female. The same would be done for entries, exits, race/ethnicity, etc.

If we asked for data by offense type – felons versus misdemeanants, how you would go about gathering information?

Is that information currently available to you? Is the information available to anyone else at your [agency/court]? Would you need to request the information from someone else at your [agency/court]?

Take another look at the questionnaire. Questions 1-4 ask for total population counts and entries and exits. Questions 6 and 7 ask about gender and race/ethnicity. Question 9 asks about the most serious offense. Are there any questions that you would not be able to answer separately for felons versus misdemeanants?

In answering the questions, how would you define felons and misdemeanants? What types of probationers would be included in each group? For example, would you count individuals with a pre-trial status? What about bench, paper, or informal status? Would these segments be included in both the counts of felons and the counts of misdemeanants?

IF PRE-TRIAL, BENCH, PAPER, OR INFORMAL WOULD BE COUNTED, ASK: Would you be able to report the numbers in these segments or report the counts excluding these groups?

Are there any segments of the population that you would not have information on? For example, are there absconders who are misdemeanants, and would you be able to report on those?

How much time do you think it would take to compile the information if we asked for information separately for felons and misdemeanants? Would your [agency/court] be willing/able to commit that time to the survey request?

Now I would like to ask you to look at the draft survey questions that we sent to you.

Let’s start with the question marked “Question 12” on the first page. The question includes a description of some types of probationers that might be considered to be on active status. What do you think of that description? What other statuses would your jurisdiction consider to be active? What populations would you consider to be inactive? What populations would you report as “other”?

12. For this question, exclude probationers supervised by your jurisdiction for another state through an interstate compact agreement or by your jurisdiction but legally the responsibility of another jurisdiction. On December 31, 2018, how many adult probationers (reported in Question 5) had a status of—

1. Active. Include those required to regularly contact a supervisory probation authority in person, by mail, by telephone, or electronically.

________________ □ Check if estimate

2. Inactive.

________________ □ Check if estimate

c. Other.

________________ □ Check if estimate

d. Total. (Sum of Questions 12a-12c should equal the number provided in Question 5.)

________________ □ Check if estimate

13. For this question, exclude probationers supervised by your jurisdiction for another state through an interstate compact agreement or by your jurisdiction but legally the responsibility of another jurisdiction. On December 31, 2018, how many adult probationers (reported in Question 5) were in each status category?

1. In residential/other treatment program. Include those on probation who were reporting to a treatment program, but not in regular contact with a probation authority.

________________ □ Check if estimate

2. Only have financial conditions remaining.

________________ □ Check if estimate

3. On unsupervised or administrative probation.

________________ □ Check if estimate

4. Absconder. Include those still on probation but who have failed to report and cannot be located.

________________ □ Check if estimate

5. Supervised out of jurisdiction. Include active and inactive probationers under your jurisdiction who are supervised by authorities of another jurisdiction.

________________ □ Check if estimate

6. Other.

________________ □ Check if estimate

g. Not known.

________________ □ Check if estimate

Next, please look at Question 13 on the next page. What are your thoughts about this question? Let’s talk about some of the details. Please read the list of status categories. How does that list compare to the statuses that your jurisdiction uses? What would you include in the “other” category? How would you go about gathering and reporting the data to answer this question? Are all of the probationers in a category assigned to the same type of supervision or does the type vary among the group? For example, are all those assigned to a residential treatment program assigned to active supervision? What would you consider to be an “other” type of supervision?

Now, please take a minute to read Question 17. In your own words, what do you think the question is asking? The question refers to the population reported in Question 5; please look back at that question. With that in mind, what other forms of community supervision would you count when answering Question 17? What types wouldn’t you count? [IF NOT MENTIONED: Would you include any types of pre-trial populations? Please explain.]

17. For this question, exclude the supervised population reported in Question 5. On December 31, 2018, did your agency have legal responsibility for individuals on any other form of community supervision, including but not limited to adults who have been released from prison to serve a period of time under community supervision, adults on some other type of post-custody conditional release, or adults on parole.

□ Yes Please describe: _____________________________

□ No

That was the last question from the materials we sent to you. I have just two more topics I would like to ask about.

First, does your jurisdiction record if a probationer is a U.S. citizen? Are you able to generate a yearend count of citizens and noncitizens assigned to probation?

IF RECORDED: How do you determine citizenship? For example, do you ask the probationer, do you use available law enforcement or court documents, use external sources like information form the Department of Homeland Security or Social Security Administration? What other methods do you use?

If BJS were to ask your jurisdiction to provide a yearend count, would you provide it?

Finally, we are aware of many [agencies/courts] nationwide that contract with a private company for supervision of adult probationers. However, there is no comprehensive list of [agencies/courts] that enter into such contracts, and there is no list of private companies that perform that role. So, we’re asking everyone during these calls if they currently assign adult probationers to a private company. Does your [agency/court] have contracts with private companies?

IF NO: Has your [agency/court] ever had such contracts?

IF YES: How many companies are currently under contract? Right now, about how many adult probationers are assigned to them? How often does this type of contractual relationship change?

Your feedback on these questions has been very helpful. Before we conclude, do you have any other feedback or suggestions?

Thank you very much for taking the time to provide feedback on the questions. We will combine your comments with feedback from other participants into an aggregated report. That report will help BJS evaluate possible changes to the study design.