2024 Annual Report

About Us

The Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS) seeks to improve outcomes and promote collaboration among member states overseeing the interstate transfer and successful completion of terms for supervised individuals. ICAOS prioritizes rehabilitation, public safety, and the successful reintegration of supervised individuals into society. Fostering a culture of cooperation and mutual support, the compact strives to address the complexities of interstate supervision while maintaining principles of fairness and accountability.

Chair Letters

Mary Kay Hudson (IN)

Mary Kay Hudson - IN

Esteemed Colleagues, With mixed emotions, I address you as the outgoing Chair of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision. As most of you know, I have accepted a new role as the Executive Director of All Rise—an organization dedicated to advocating for substance use and mental health disorder issues within the justice system. Despite this transition, the accomplishments we have achieved together remain close to my heart, and I hold each of you in the highest regard....

Although my tenure as Chair was unexpectedly cut short, I look back with immense pride on the progress we collectively made during my tenure. Together, we navigated challenges, celebrated successes, and remained steadfast in our commitment to promoting public safety and improving outcomes for those under our supervision.

A key highlight of this year’s report is the considerable progress in enhancing compact operations and compliance. Your collective efforts have been instrumental in driving our mission forward. We have streamlined processes, advanced technology through the ICOTS migration, supported person-centered language, and implemented best practices to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of our operations.

Beyond operational achievements, I am pleased to report on the continued growth of our partnerships and collaborations with ex officio members and stakeholders. These collaborations have not only facilitated the exchange of knowledge and expertise but have also fostered a collective commitment to addressing the complex challenges facing our criminal justice system.

While my departure marks the end of one chapter, it also signals the beginning of a new journey—for both me and the Commission. As I transition into my new role, I carry with me the invaluable lessons and experiences gained during my time as Chair, and I remain deeply invested in the continued success of this Commission.

As I step down from my role as Commission Chair, I want to express my unwavering confidence in Commissioner Mac Pevey (WA), who embodies the values and vision that define our Commission. Mac’s dedication, integrity, and wealth of experience make him an ideal successor, and I have full confidence in his ability to steer us toward greater heights of success and innovation.

To every one of you, I extend my heartfelt gratitude. Your commitment and expertise have been the driving force behind our accomplishments. While my role may be changing, my belief in the importance of our work remains steadfast. Under Chair Pevey’s leadership, I am confident that the Commission will continue to thrive, positively impacting countless lives and communities nationwide.

Warm Regards,

Mary Kay Hudson

Mac Pevey (WA)

Macy Pevey, WA

Friends and colleagues, It is with a deep sense of honor and responsibility that I address you as the new Chair of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision. As you are aware, I have stepped into this role to finish the remaining term of my predecessor, Mary Kay Hudson (IN). ...

First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Chair Hudson for her dedicated service and leadership during her tenure. Her commitment to our mission and tireless efforts have laid a solid foundation upon which we will continue to build.

Assuming the responsibilities of Chair mid-term presents unique challenges, yet I am humbled by the trust and confidence bestowed upon me by my fellow commissioners and colleagues. I am determined to make meaningful contributions to our collective success and to achieve the ambitious goals we have established.

As we reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and chart our course for the future, I want to emphasize the importance of collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to excellence. Together, we have made substantial progress in advancing the Commission’s objectives, but there remains much work ahead.

In the coming months, I look forward to collaborating closely with each of you. Together, let's identify new opportunities, address emerging issues, and strengthen our partnerships with stakeholders across the criminal justice system. Working together, we can ensure that the Commission remains at the forefront of efforts to promote public safety and improve outcomes for those under our supervision.

I sincerely appreciate your continued support. I am enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to serving alongside each of you in the days and months to come.

With Gratitude,

Chair Mac Pevey

Chair - Mac Pevey (WA)

Chair Mac Pevey 2024

Treasurer - Gary Roberge (CT)

Gary Roberge - Treasurer ICAOS

Past Chair - Jeremiah Stromberg (OR)

Jeremhiah Stromberg - ICAOS Past Chair

Executive Committee

Mac Pevey (WA), Commission Chair
Gary Roberge (CT), Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair
Jeremiah Stromberg (OR), Past-Chair
Dale Crook (VT), East Region Chair
Amy Vorachek (ND), Midwest Region Chair
Steve Turner (KY), South Region Chair
Taryn Link (AK), West Region Chair
Sally Kreamer (IA), Compliance Committee Chair
Suzanne Brooks (OH), DCA Liaison Committee Chair
Chris Moore (GA), Information Technology Committee Chair
Tracy Hudrlik (MN), Rules Committee Chair
Joselyn López (WI), Training, Education, & Public Relations Committee Chair
John Gillis (NOVA), National Victims’ Representative

Year In Review

2023 Annual Business Meeting – All Hands on Deck

The 2023 ICAOS annual business meeting convened members for a series of engaging and informative committee meetings and sessions. Attendees participated in discussions on diverse topics, including collaborative problem-solving, implementation science, professional and personal resilience, and the human side of the Compact.

Throughout the meeting, members shared insights and best practices, encouraging collaboration and innovation for managing Compact procedures. The sessions provided opportunities for attendees to deepen their understanding of key issues and explore strategies for enhancing outcomes and promoting public safety within the framework of the Compact.

The meeting concluded with administering the oath of office to region chairs, including the new South Region chair, Steve Turner (KY) and returning chairs Amy Vorachek (ND) – Midwest, Taryn Link (AK) – West, and Dale Crook (VT) - East. Overall, the 2023 ICAOS annual business meeting was a resounding success, highlighting the commitment of member states to continuous improvement and excellence in the oversight of supervised individuals.

Renewed Spirit

The Spirit of the Compact Award has been revitalized! This recognition celebrates individuals who exemplify extraordinary dedication and commitment in their roles. Eligible individuals include field officers, compact staff members, or stakeholders who consistently rise above job requirements and demonstrate unsurpassed effort and dedication.

View Spirit of the Compact

Rule Change for Better Outcomes

At the 2023 Annual Business Meeting, the Commission approved an amendment to Rule 5.108(f). The Rule change specifically addressed a receiving state's obligation to take individuals into custody upon a finding of probable cause for behavior requiring retaking.

Effective on March 1, 2024, this change offers flexibility to states lacking warrantless powers. Noted situations include when a sending state has not issued a warrant pending probable cause or when the decision to retake versus ordering a return for behavior requiring retaking has not been determined. This amendment intends to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the interstate compact process, ultimately contributing to improved supervision outcomes.

Insights and Innovations

This year, the DCA Liaison Committee received valuable feedback aimed at bolstering the FY2024 DCA Dashboard Program’s ability to assist states in effectively managing cases subject to retaking. Through two focused sessions held in the fall of 2023 and spring 2024, participants gained insights into the available reports for analyzing statistical data related to retaking, including retransfers. The sessions also emphasized the importance of compliance with retaking rules, user trends, and training issues.

Tools of the Trade

DCA Success Program Slides

In addition to launching the all-new DCA Toolkit, the Commission has introduced a new DCA Success Program. This program replaces the old mentoring program and utilizes a group mentoring approach, incorporating coaching techniques and shared experiences in intra and interstate supervision. The new program offers support and guidance to the DCA community and promotes collaboration and critical thinking skills. It focuses on developing leadership and technical skills, as well as guidance for accessing support resources.

View Success Program

Next-Level Learning

This year, the Commission has made upgrades to its online learning platform, marking a key step in its commitment to delivering high-quality, accessible training to users. The upgraded software features multiple improvements designed to streamline processes, provide an intuitive registration process, and track achievements to reach learning milestones. By utilizing the platform’s advanced functionalities, the Commission can deliver training experiences that are more engaging, interactive, and impactful than ever before. The chart above reflects the number of users who have taken on-demand trainings on the new learning management system implemented in February 2024.

View Trainings

Guided Engagement

Number of Downloads by Guide

The Training, Education and Public Relations Committee has published a comprehensive set of guides tailored to various roles within the Compact. These guides offer essential knowledge and best practices to enhance states' effectiveness and understanding of the Compact. Covering a wide spectrum of roles, including material for extradition officers, jail officials, parole and probation officers, court officials, and hearing officers, each guide is specifically crafted to address their unique needs and responsibilities, offering practical insights and strategies for success.

In response to the growing importance of electronic signatures in today's digital age, the Commission has also released a Practice Guide for Electronic Signatures. This guide addresses common questions and concerns, helping users navigate the complexities of electronic signatures with confidence.

Regardless of experience level, these guides serve as a quick and straightforward way to gain a better understanding of the Compact and its implications.

View Guides

Language Matters

In a move towards inclusivity and respect, the Commission has adopted person-centered language, replacing the term "offender" with "supervised individual." This significant shift reflects ICAOS's commitment to promoting dignity, understanding, and empowerment within the criminal justice system. By embracing person-centered language, the Commission seeks to humanize the individuals under its supervision, recognizing their potential for positive change.

The term "offender" carries with it a stigma that can perpetuate negative stereotypes and hinder rehabilitation efforts. In contrast, "supervised individual" emphasizes the person behind the label, acknowledging their identity beyond their involvement with the criminal justice system. The adoption of this language change reflects the Commission’s dedication to promoting dignity, respect, and a rehabilitative approach to those transferring through the Compact.

As ICAOS continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of criminal justice, the transition to person-centered language represents a pivotal step forward. It is a reminder that words have the power to shape perceptions, attitudes, and ultimately, the outcomes of individuals within the system.

"We believe that language matters. By transitioning to more person-centered language, we are affirming our commitment to treating each individual with dignity and respect, regardless of their past actions or circumstances." - Jeremiah Stromberg, former Commission Chair.

A New Home for ICOTS

In early 2023, the Commission started migrating its software and hosting services to a new platform developed by Optimum Technology. The migration was executed seamlessly and concluded by October 2023, thanks to a talented team of Optimum engineers, national office staff, and commission users. Working closely with the User Acceptance Team, both the national office and Optimum ensured that all features in the new environment functioned as intended. This encompassed tasks such as managing workload, offender search, user profiles, generating reports, case management, and the assistance tab.

Roadmap for Compliance Success

In 2023, the Compliance and Executive Committees approved updates to AP 2009-05 Audit Standards, clarifying expectations and establishing procedures for addressing deviations in dashboard compliance. These changes enhance transparency and ensure accountability throughout the compliance process.

The revised standards provide a clear framework for understanding the consequences when a state falls below the 80% compliance threshold. It serves as a roadmap, guiding states on how to regain and maintain compliance. Proactive measures are now in place to address issues promptly and effectively.

Advancing Compliance

As the Commission has evolved, it has established rules and policies to support its mission. At the same time, it has established goals and processes for compliance and audits to help states meet the Compact’s standards and resolve disputes. Over time, the most common issues leading to disputes in the Commission involve rejected mandatory transfers and the failure to retake individuals (see Figure 1). As the Commission has improved its rules, procedures, and training, these disputes have become less frequent (see Figure 2).

Top Dispute Resolutions Types (2004-2024)

Figure 1

Dispute Resolutions by Year

Figure 2

*Missing years indicate no disputes filed

A central goal of the Compliance Committee today is to ensure that states have the right training and tools to be successful. The Compliance Committee wants to find ways to support states in their efforts at meeting and maintaining compliance. Using dashboards, developing compliance guides, and providing state council resources to states is part of that commitment to state success.

In contrast, compliance issues grew as the Commission matured, reaching a high point in 2012 with a sharp decline after introducing new compliance dashboards that dramatically affected 2018 and 2018 (see Figure 3). However, as states became familiar with the dashboard reports and how to use them to enhance compliance, the number of issues declined equally dramatically.

Quarterly dashboard performance results are closely examined, and any indicators falling below the 80% threshold are flagged as potential compliance issues. Significantly, the most common compliance problem is performance dashboard indicators not meeting the acceptable level, surpassing even the failure to appoint required membership or report on state council activities (as shown in Figure 4).

Compliance Issues Reported by Year

Figure 3

*Excluding dispute resolutions

*Missing years indicate no compliance issues reported

Top Compliance Issues

Figure 4

*Excluding dispute resolutions

FY2024 Audit - Benchmarking Success

The FY2024 Compliance Audit reassessed three key areas from FY2023, focusing on data accuracy and addressing issues like incorrect profiles and case management. Nineteen states with poor FY2023 results were re-evaluated. Scores from FY2024 were compared to FY2023 results and national benchmarks. Most states showed significant improvement, with even those below average making notable progress.

Retaking & Retransfer: Trends, Issues, & Insights

Formed by the Executive Committee in 2023, the Risk, Needs, & Responsivity (RNR) workgroup was tasked with examining the application of evidence-based principles in the retaking process. A central challenge has been identifying factors that contribute to an individual’s retaking and subsequent retransfer.

During the workgroup’s evaluation, concerning trends emerged. Since 2009, the percentage of retakings and subsequent retransfers has shown significant growth, peaking in 2020 and consistently remaining near or above 40 percent since 2017 (See Figure 5).

Total Cases Retaken vs. Cases Re-Transferred

Figure 5

Additionally, as depicted in Figure 6, retaking residents of a receiving state and subsequently re-transferring them to the same state has seen a dramatic increase since 2021. This trend is concerning as it indicates inefficient use of resources and poses potential hazards to public safety.

Retaken, Closed Case, Then Re-Transferred

Figure 6

Year By the
Numbers

National Acceptance Rates

Discretionary and overall acceptance rates are comprised of cases with an accepted transfer request divided by the total number of compact cases in that category. As reflected in the data above, discretionary acceptance rates have remained relatively stable over time.

States have provided feedback on how to improve acceptance rates, including treating supervised individuals in the same manner as in-state individuals. Other best practices include minimum training requirements, verification and checklist procedures before transmission, and better communication with supervised individuals and involved parties as well as transfer states.

Incoming and Outgoing Acceptance Rate By State

By toggling the incoming/outgoing switch located above the map, users may review their state's performance in the previous year's overall acceptance rates. Color changes are indications of the strength or number of acceptance rate.

Type of Deletion (FY2020 - FY2024)

Maintaining clean and accurate records is essential for a well-functioning system like ICOTS. The Commission places a strong emphasis on regularly auditing ICOTS data integrity, underscoring the importance of this responsibility.

Of all supervised individual records that were deleted during FY2024, there were three major types. The first type is “No Compact Cases”, meaning the junk individual record had no existing compact cases when it was deleted. The second type is “Cases –No Compact Activities”, meaning the junk individual record had one or more existing compact cases, but no compact activities were created. The last type was “Duplicate Offender” records where the deleted record was a duplicate of an already existing supervised individual.

The types of deletions processed through the Compact have changed over time. In FY2020, nearly half of all deletions resulted from duplicates in the system. By FY2024, that number had declined to just over a third of deletions. In contrast, records with no existing compact case had grown from 39.9% in FY2020 to slightly more than half in FY2024.

Incoming and Outgoing Cases By State

By toggling the incoming/outgoing switch located above the map, users may review each state's total number of transfers in and out over the last fiscal year under the Compact. Color changes are indications of the strength or number of transfers.

Incoming Cases

This chart shows the number of active incoming compact cases managed in each state as of the end of FY2024, broken down by supervision type. Users may see the totals for a state by clicking on the sorting tab at the top of the chart.

Outgoing Cases

This chart shows the number of active outgoing compact cases managed in each state as of the end of FY2024, broken down by supervision type. Users may see the totals for a state by clicking on the sorting tab at the top of the chart.

Violation Reports Over Time

Despite supervising approximately 125,000 cases each year, violation reports have remained relatively stable over time. Interestingly, this consistency in violation reports contrasts with the rising incidence of retakings and retransfers and may suggest a return to pre-Covid patterns.

Transfer Requests Over Time

In the chart above, the blue line represents the total number of transfer requests sent in each fiscal year from 2020 through 2024. Of note, there was a significant decrease in 2021 resulting from COVID. Recovering from that low, the amount of total transfer requests returned to pre-pandemic levels, ending fiscal year 2024 slightly higher than in 2020.

Financial Report

Creating Stability & Opportunity

As the nation grapples with historically high inflation, the Commission is making strides toward eliminating the need for emergency funds to bolster its annual operating budgets, ending the fiscal year nearly 9% under budget and using $260,000 less than initially projected from reserve funds. This progress is possible due to increased dues revenue as well as ongoing cost-saving measures directed by the national office.

However, in light of technological advancements, the Commission must prioritize necessary upgrades and modernization efforts to ensure system productivity, compliance, and security. These modernization costs underscore the importance of maintaining strong leadership to secure adequate funding for current operations and capital improvements in technology.

Revenue & Expenses

The chart above compares revenue and expenses, highlighting the Commission’s financial performance over time. Since FY2022, the Commission has drawn $862,601 from cash reserves and investments to cover expenses that surpass dues and interest income. This has resulted in a reduction in the Reserve and Investment Fund Balances, as shown in the graph below.

Reserve and Investment Fund Balances

The Commission has two main funds: a long-term investment fund and a short-term cash account. Executive Committee policy has required keeping a full year’s worth of operating expenses in reserve and at least $500,000 in cash in order to be prepared in the event of unexpected circumstances. To manage regular operating costs in excess of dues received, provide a one-time dues reduction during COVID, and fund the ICOTS system transfer while dealing with inflation,the Commission has been using money from both its cash reserves and investment fund, including a $500,000 $700,000 transfer from the investment fun to cash reserves in FY2024. As a result, both the cash reserves and the long-term investment fund have decreased from a combined high in 2021 of $3,694,927 to $3,148,961 to end FY2024.

Financial Annual Audit

The Commission ended the fiscal year with a clean, unmodified audit, underscoring its commitment to sound financial management practices.

ICAOS Audit Summary FY24

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Commission
Awards

Executive Chair Award - Jeremiah Stromberg (OR)

Executive Chari Award - Jeremiah Stromberg

Each year, the chair proudly presents an award to a commissioner who has made significant and lasting contributions to the Commission. This award honors those who demonstrate exceptional leadership, service, and commitment. Their efforts inspire us and elevate the work of the Commission.

Executive Director Award - Alyssa Miller (ND)

The recipient of the Executive Director Award exhibits outstanding leadership skills and dedication to the Interstate Commission through extraordinary service. This individual is a Compact Administrator or Deputy Compact Administrator who:

Promotes the Spirit of the Compact;
Advocates the values and mission of the Commission;
Demonstrates achievements in the successful movement of supervised individuals and their reintegration into society;
Employs strategies for ensuring public safety;
Effectively communicates with other Compact professionals.

Peyton Tuthill Award - Christy Bertera (FL)

The Peyton Tuthill Award recognizes exceptional leadership and service to victims of offenders under Compact supervision. The 2023 awardee was Christy Bertera, whose life changed dramatically after her sister was murdered in 2020. Despite this tragedy, Ms. Bertera has dedicated her career to supporting crime victims. Starting as a Victim Advocate and now a Criminal Justice Specialist with the Northwest Florida Health Network, she has spent almost two decades helping victims and facilitating training for community partners. Her work, particularly with children affected by violent crime, has made a significant impact. The Commission was pleased to honor Ms. Bertera for her resilience and commitment to justice.

Our Ex Officio
Partners

National Office Staff

Ashley Lippert, Executive Director
Allen Eskridge, PhD, MPA, Director of Policy & Operations
Xavier Donnelly, MBA, ICOTS Project Manager
Mindy Spring, Training & Audit Coordinator
Drake Greeott, Web Development Manager
Barno Saturday, Logistics & Administrative Coordinator

View National Office Staff

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