FY2023

in Review

Time Square 2022 ABM

The 2022 Annual Business Meeting in New York City, NY was an incredible event! With over 145 people in attendance, it was an excellent opportunity to celebrate the Commission’s twentieth anniversary. Recognizing the Commission’s accomplishments in addition to addressing current challenges gave everyone a sense of purpose while sharing best practices motivated members to continue striving for excellence.

The first in-person DCA training institute in four years provided attendees with an in-depth insight into the outcomes from the FY2022 transfer audit as well as the varying ways in which states utilize tolling. DCAs left the institute equipped for success when communicating with other states or educating their stakeholders.

The meeting also featured personal accounts from crime victims who highlighted the significance of a victim centered approach in corrections and how the Com-pact’s work impacts victims and the community. Later, attendees watched a Compact documentary titled “The Road Home” featuring supervised individuals and their experience transferring through the Compact. Also, a research study that examined the Compact’s success in fulfilling its mission and purpose was presented.

The meeting concluded with the election of new officers. Mary Kay Hudson (IN) was elected as the new chair, Mac Pevey (WA) as the vice-chair, and Gary Roberge (CT) as the returning treasurer of the Commission.

The Road Home – The Reality of Interstate Transfers

The Annual Business Meeting marked the conclusion of a two-year partnership between ICAOS and the National Institute of Corrections to produce a documentary. The documentary screening was a highlight of the annual business meeting.

The film is a must-watch among corrections officials, offering compelling insight into the experiences of adults on probation or parole navigating the interstate transfer process. It has been viewed several thousand times since its initial release.

View Full Video

Attendees participated in a post-premiere question and answer session with the director and some of the individuals interviewed for the film. The documentary and the subsequent discussion encouraged reflection on the challenges and rewards of community supervision. One commissioner was particularly moved, stating that the film served as a poignant reminder of why she takes pride in the Compact.

Verifying Success: Better Communication, Better Outcomes

The Commission presented at the American Probation and Parole Association’s summer and winter training institutes in FY2023. These trainings stressed the value of effective communication and the direct influence of accurate verification on outcomes. Participants learned that everyone benefits when states document positive family relationships and other indicators of successful supervision such as financial support and access to resources or treatment programs.

Communication, Cooperation, Coordination - Your Dashboard to Success

The Interstate Compact Offender Tracking System (ICOTS) collects an enormous amount of information about supervised individuals; however, it also captures business process and workload information that agencies may use to improve operations. Every data entry has an audit trail which managers can use to troubleshoot inefficiencies and bothersome business practices. The DCA Liaison Committee started the DCA Dashboard program to help compact offices utilize the data available in ICOTS to make informed decisions. In FY2023, over 400 people attended sessions on the Transfer Decision and Warrant Status dashboards as part of the ongoing DCA dashboard training program. Deputy compact administrators and staff shared resources and best practices, including a tip sheet for transfers and warrant management strategies.

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Photo of Colorado, Arkansas, Arizon, and Alaska Commissioners

The Optimum Solution for ICOTS

Following a request for proposal process, the Commission selected Optimum Technology to migrate ICOTS to a new hosting environment. With their expertise in largescale system developments & criminal justice projects, Optimum Technology offered a comprehensive solution for migrating ICOTS by the fall of 2023.

The ICOTS migration is the Commission’s largest technology project since ICOTS’ launch in 2008.

Navigating with Confidence

The Commission released a new resource in FY2023 to assist supervised individuals and their families navigate the interstate transfer process. Since its release, the new resource has been viewed over 15,000 times.

The new tool answers frequently asked questions while also providing a step-by-step means to determine if someone meets the Compact’s eligibility criteria. Visitors can also learn how to initiate the transfer process, what to expect either during the investigation or after approval, and how to contact a state’s Compact office.

You can Navigate the Compact here: https://interstatecompact.org/resources/transferring-your-supervision

The following links provide information about the compact and how to navigate the interstate transfer process.

Starting the Transfer Process

During the Transfer Investigation Period

What to Expect After Transfer Approval

State Compact Office Assistance

Verifying Data Integrity

The ICOTS Privacy Policy outlines how information is collected, shared, and stored ICOTS, as well as the state’s duties for guaranteeing the accuracy of that information. For these reasons, the Commission focused its audit efforts in FY2023 on ICOTS data integrity, examining states’ compliance in a variety of areas such as demographic data and photos, as well as addressing junk profiles, rejected cases, and offenders awaiting retaking.

The audit revealed that states have improved their demographic data entry and photo uploads, meeting policy standards. However, there was still room for improvement concerning how states manage junk profiles, rejected cases, and offenders awaiting retaking. The outcomes of those assessments prompted the Commission to re-audit states with inadequate performance in FY2024.

The National Office has created a retaking management dashboard to assist states in their efforts to maintain data integrity. It provides a snapshot of data on the number of ICOTS profiles with active warrants, the number of individuals retaken and transferred, and the number of offenders awaiting retaking for incoming and outgoing cases. Additionally, the Commission now sends commissioners automated emails biannually that provide statistics on retaking and transfer acceptance.

Retaking Cases Management

Rejected Cases Cleanup

ICAOS 2022 ABM Picture of Mac Pevey, Allen Godfrey, and Hope Cooper

The ICAOS 2022 ABM Victim Advocate Panel

Measuring Progress: Mission Possible

As the Commission approached its twentieth anniversary, its leaders asked the question, “Are we meeting our mission and goals?” Given its importance, the Commission engaged the University of Cincinnati Cor- rections Institute to conduct an in-depth look into the Commission’s organizational framework, revealing key areas of progress and areas for improvement.

Is the Compact Serving its Intended Purpose?

Are Compact Clients More Difficult to Supervise?

Data analysis and surveys were conducted with over 3,600 Compact office and field staff, as well as one on one interviews with both staff and supervised individuals. Results indicated that 73 percent of respondents found the Compact was serving its intended purpose.

The comprehensive report will continue to offer value. It will assist the Commission in making informed decisions and creating meaningful change for years to come.

The full study and executive summary are available online at: https://interstatecompact.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/UCCI_Final_Re…

Well Warranted Progress

In 2019, the Commission partnered with SEARCH on a Justice Reinvestment Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish a notification service that queries the NCIC supervised release and warrant files. Kansas and Arizona are currently in final testing for the service with Ohio to follow soon.

Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision

Ensuring Public Safety for the 21st Century

Interactive Annual Report 2023 - Year In Review