Board hears Department of Corrections audit update; referral agreements and data sharing among priorities

Members of the Morgan County Community Corrections Board spent part of the Feb. 1 meeting reviewing the implications of a Department of Corrections audit and related administrative changes. Speaker 2 summarized that the state audit requires agencies to set and report evidence-based goals, update referral agreements to share risk-assessment information with providers and strengthen quality assurance for risk assessments.

Speaker 2 said the local advisory group completed a workshop on an evidence-based step model, finalized local data reports with state staff and approved the SCA 9 report for submission to the state JARAC. Speaker 1 said the county received the final audit result and that no corrective action findings were issued. DOC staff identified that the program should use a project 'cert file' number in project-data records; Speaker 1 told the board they plan to assign project number 1122 for project income tracking.

Board members discussed practical next steps: updating referral agreements with service providers, improving staff training and establishing quarterly DOC check-ins to demonstrate progress toward the newly required evidence-based goals. No regulatory changes were enacted by the board; the items are administrative and procedural steps to meet state requirements. The board asked staff to return with updated referral agreements and a plan for sharing assessment information with contracted providers ahead of the next reporting cycle.

What happens next: staff will prepare revised referral agreements and a training plan and will report progress to the board in upcoming quarterly meetings.