The core mission of the oklahoma department of corrections (odoc) is to protect the public, promote a safe working environment for staff, and encourage positive behavioral change for…

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) received a $850,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative (CFDA 16.812). The funding will be used to streamline processes for probation and parole officers, improve their use of case management data to encourage pro-social behaviors, and increase the employment readiness of clients. Key initiatives include developing mobile applications for client intake, risk/needs assessment, and monthly reporting; implementing a new PPO dashboard; and creating an automated resume builder. The project aims to increase meaningful time officers spend with clients, improve data utilization to promote positive change, and enhance employment preparedness, with a focus on serving marginalized and underserved communities. The University of Oklahoma will conduct process and outcome evaluations to assess implementation fidelity and measure outcomes such as employment status, mobile app usage, and recidivism. The project period runs from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2026.

The core mission of the oklahoma department of corrections (odoc) is to protect the public, promote a safe working environment for staff, and encourage positive behavioral change for justice-involved individuals. The success of these core values relies on effective investment in probation & parole services. Probation and parole officers (ppos) are challenged with high caseloads, excessive administrative work, difficulty using case management data to promote prosocial change, and helping clients prepare for employment. The goals of this project are to increase the quantity of meaningful time officers spend with clients; improve officers' use of case management data to encourage prosocial behaviors; and increase the employment readiness of clients. This project will streamline the processes for intake, risk/needs assessment, and monthly reporting by developing mobile applications to allow clients to complete forms on their own. Tablets will be installed at p & p offices for client use. Clients will log in to the tablet and fill out forms prior to meeting with their PPO. The data will be uploaded immediately into the case management system, and a new PPO dashboard will be implemented to show each client's history and current status. The dashboard will emphasize compliance and success rather than focusing primarily on needs and failures, so that ppos can provide positive reinforcement for prosocial choices. Odoc will also create an automated resume builder for mobile devices to improve clients' employment readiness, digital literacy, and experiences of self-efficacy. These innovations will be implemented statewide in all probation and parole offices with a focus on serving clients from marginalized and underserved communities. Staff will receive training through in-person meetings, remote video conferencing, and self-paced instruction. Odoc will partner with evaluators from the university of oklahoma who will conduct process and outcome evaluations. The evaluators will administer surveys and interviews with ppos and clients to measure changes in attitudes and experiences over time. The process evaluation will assess fidelity of implementation and provide feedback to inform odoc of quality improvement processes. The outcome evaluation will measure such outcomes as changes to employment status, mobile APP usage, completion of supervision conditions, rearrest, revocation, and reincarceration. Trends in officer job satisfaction and uptake of mobile application usage among clients will be measured. Deliverables will include an action plan, evaluation reports, and a final report.