WA DOC Creation of Cloud-Based Resource Database

Recent sentencing reform in WA State will impact the number of incarcerated individuals in reentry within the WA State Department of Corrections (DOC) and increase the number of individuals on supervision. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure the reentry process is supportive by providing a reentry plan with resources to help individuals successfully reenter society while reducing recidivism for the safety of communities and victims.

    DOC has a dual responsibility to protect the community and successfully rehabilitate reentrants. WA state DOC prison division provides incarcerated individuals with targeted interventions. However, when an incarcerated individual transitions to community, there is a delay in services, and sometimes an inability to connect to the needed essential resources to address the criminogenic needs through targeted interventions. Community-based case managers rely on insufficient lists of providers that are out-of-date, incomplete, or non-existent due to a lack of providers in the immediate area. In 2023, DOC is implementing the iCOACH supervision model. This appoach will provide Resource Specialists to connect people with needed services in the community. However, a centralized real-time resource database is imperative to ensure timely connections to providers who can meet their needs.

    The target population for this project is at minimum 300 incarcerated individuals releasing statewide from Graduated Reentry (GRE), Parenting Sentencing Alternative (PSA), and iCOACH during the three-year evaluation period for connection to the software. Individuals evaluated through this grant will be chosen randomly. This cloud-based software product will maintain a real time verified provider list for community-based programs who serve the released population in community supervision. This software will collect program referral, attendance, and completion data. This would assist case managers to efficiently and quickly connect people to needed services.

    In addition, the Community Corrections Division (CCD) 800 staff will take the evidence-based Trauma Informed Services and the Motivational Interviewing trainings. In-depth trauma training is needed to better guide case managers, so they don’t inadvertently retraumatize individuals. As well, it would be beneficial for CCD staff to be trained in advanced techniques in Motivational Interviewing to elicit motivation for individuals to change a specific negative behavior.

    DOC wants to improve our service delivery to those individuals under our jurisdiction. When we work successfully with reentrants, it directly impacts their success. An outcome of this project is to be more effective and efficient in how we connect our clients to services, so they can obtain positive outcomes.