DELAWARE TASK FORCE











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Project Update! On January 29, 2014, Amy Quinlan of the Delaware Task Force participated in the RJIP's presentation at BJA's Enrichment Day. For the full presentation, click here.  

On Monday, July 18th 2011 The Racial Justice Improvement Project Delaware Task Force  held a workshop training event on Bias-Free Decision Making at the Dover Sheraton Hotel in Dover, Delaware. All Forty-Two Supervisors of the Delaware Probation Department were required to attend this training. The following members of the Delaware Task Force:  Curt Shockley, Director of Probation and Parole, Justice Henry DuPont Ridgley, and Colonel Robert Coupe, representing the Delaware State Police, presented during this day-long training.  Special thanks to Delaware Task Force Members Amy Quinlan and Drewry Fennell.
                                     Agenda 
                                              Photos
The Delaware Task Force examined probation violation practices in the state. The task force collected data that determined that African Americans are violated at a higher rate than similarly-situated White probationers. The Task Force has conducted a statewide training for probation officers on “bias-free decision making.”  


Key Objectives of the Delaware Reform include:
  • Leveraging existing DACS functions and processes to include better tracking of demographic indicators associated with probation violations, sanctions and outcomes. 
  • Providing the Probation Officer’s tools and information at their fingertips to make objective and informed decisions.
  • Providing a systematic guideline for imposing sanctions to offenders when completing a Violation Report. This includes Intake, Classification, Case Management and other security functions. 
  • Providing the ability to generate statistical reporting on key indicators including gender,  race, violations, level of violation, sanctions imposed and severity. 

The following modifications have been developed in DACS to support the above objectives:

  •  The existing Violation Report was modified to include graduated sanctions. The graduated sanctions system recommends to the Probation Officer a list of possible sanctions based on pre-defined criteria, including current level of supervision, severity of the violation and number of previous violations. 
  • The existing reporting (LSI-R, Progress Reports, Violation Reports and Admin Warrants) was modified to include demographic information including race, gender and lead charge.
  • The existing Violation Report was modified  to include the Recommended Level of Supervision on the printed reports.
  • The List of Probation Violation Report, List of Progress Reports and List of Admin Warrants was modified excel downloads to include the case closing method.

The implementation of these functions provides the Department with a tool to better manage its offender population and enables the implementation of operational efficiencies. Furthermore, these changes provides the Probation Officers with a guideline that drives the sanctions based on predefined, objective criteria. 

A survey was created to track the success of our initiative in Delaware. For the complete survey data, please see here.

Final Evaluation Findings:
  • Prior to the implementation of the new DACS graduated sanctions system, ten state probation officers were interviewed using an open-ended questionnaire. 
  • After the implementation of the graduated sanctions protocol, the new DACS recording system and the implicit bias training, a random sample of probation officers were asked to participate in an online survey about their perceptions of the new graduated sanctions and DACS systems. Thirty-two probation officers participated in the survey.
  • All interviewed probation officers indicated that they used graduated sanctions regularly and believed that the system helped in their supervision.
  • The officers interviewed mostly stated that they anticipated the new automated DACS recording system will be a positive improvement in the graduated sanctions process. As the primary benefits, interviewees cited the ability to easily review cases and access updates in real time for probationers as the primary benefits.
  • Post-reform, officers tended to agree that the DACS system was helpful and beneficial to their jobs.
  • To evaluate whether the RJIP reforms were effective in reducing racial disparities in probation violations, we looked at the rates of probation violations before and after the reforms. 
  • Post-reform, the disproportionate number of Black probation violations was reduced at this data collection period.
Data and Resources 
Outcome Evaluation Plan, please click here. 
2013 Individual Level II and III VOPs Data, please click here.
2011 Comparison of VOPs to Probation Population by Race, please click here. 
PO Survey Data for Report, please click here. 

Current Events in the Delaware Area

Delaware Supreme Court and Delaware Criminal Justice Council Co-Sponsored Summit on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Criminal Justice System (Delaware Courts Press Release, Sept. 12, 2007)

Data Collection

Analysis of Wilmington, DE Crime Data

Wilmington – 2007 Crime Rates (Summary)

Delaware Minority Contact Report

Race and Incarceration in Delaware

Relevant Links

2011 Race and Incarceration in Delaware Report
2010 Racial Justice Improvement Project Proposal 
2010 Racial Justice Improvement Project Proposal Part II
2010 Racial Justice Improvement Project Proposal – Part III
Press Release ABA RJIP April 27 2010
Press Release ABA RJIP September 9, 2010
Delaware Center for Justice
Delaware Criminal Justice Counsel Membership
The State of Sentencing 2011  - Developments in Policy and Practice
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