To: Board of Supervisors
From: Probation
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Agreement Between Humboldt County Probation and Noble Software Group, LLC in the Amount of $140,000
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the Agreement with Noble Software Group, LLC for hosting Noble Assessment Platform, Inter-Rater Reliability, Noble View, Validation Study, and Training Program; and
2. Authorize the Chief Probation Officer, Coral Sanders, to sign this agreement and any future amendments to this agreement after approval by County Counsel, Risk Management, and the County Administrative Office.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
General Fund allocation, 1100-235
DISCUSSION:
In July 2016, Humboldt County Probation started working with Noble Software Group to integrate their case management system with the Noble Assessment platform. The integration of the two systems allows Probation staff to import demographic information from the department case management system, Juvenile Adult Management System (JAMS), into the Noble library of assessments. This streamlines officers’ ability to complete risk assessments, identify offenders’ criminogenic needs, and develop case plans to address those needs. It also allows the Probation Department to analyze aggregate data to determine population trends and service gaps.
As part of the contract, Noble provides training to the Probation Department on the assessments to support consistent application of the tools with fidelity to the scoring rules. This ensures offenders are evaluated and receive the most appropriate level of supervision. Noble software also assists in developing the case plan in order to target specific criminogenic needs that better support rehabilitation. The term of the attached contract is a 3-year term and was structured in order to include a validation study of the tool once every 3 years. Risk assessment tools inform Probation Department decisions such as the level of supervision to impose upon probationers. By providing an empirical and objective assessment of an individual’s risk of recidivism, these tools can improve upon traditional practice of criminal justice decision-making driven by professional judgement of criminal justice stakeholders. For this approach to be effective, however, the risk assessment tool must be as accurate as possible in its prediction of an individual’s recidivism risk. It is also important to ensure that the risk assessment tool is legally and practically sound and does not exacerbate existing disparities in criminal justice outcomes. The process of determining how well a tool performs at predicting risk is called validation. It is the Probation Department’s intention that this agreement and all future Noble agreements be structured as a 3-year term with a validation study occurring once every third year.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
|
Expenditures (Fund, Budget Unit) |
FY23-24 Current |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$40,000 |
$40,000 |
$60,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total Expenditures |
$40,000 |
$40,000 |
$60,000 |
|
Funding Sources (Fund, Budget Unit) |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected* |
FY25-26 Projected* |
|
General Fund |
$40,000 |
$40,000 |
$60,000 |
|
State/Federal Funds |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Fees/Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Contingencies |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$40,000 |
$40,000 |
$60,000 |
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
The annual cost of this contract is not to exceed $40,000 except for 2025-26 which will include a validation study estimated at an additional $20,000. Funding for this agreement is available through the general fund allocation in Probation’s 235 budget unit. Costs for the Fiscal Year 2023-24 were included in the adopted budget so there is no need for a supplemental budget.
STAFFING IMPACT:
|
Position Title |
Position Control Number |
Monthly Salary Range (1A-E Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impact:
There is no staffing impact.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Framework.
Core Roles: Choose an item.
New Initiatives: Provide community-appropriate levels of service
Strategic Plan: N/A
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may elect to not approve this agreement however that is not recommended. This service agreement allows Probation to provide risk assessments to aid in determining risked-based supervision levels.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Professional Services Agreement between Humboldt County Probation Department and Noble Software Group, LLC
2. Certificate of Insurance, Noble Software Group
3. Additional Insured Endorsement
4. Worker’s Compensation Waiver and Endorsement
5. Cyber Liability Certificate of Insurance
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: 25
Meeting of: 12/8/2020
File No.: 20-1482