Louisiana Legislative Auditor
Daryl G. Purpera, CPA, CFE

October 30, 2017

Department of Corrections Needs to Improve Management of Offender Data

Department of Corrections (DOC) officials need to strengthen existing policies and develop new procedures to improve their management of offender data, including such areas as tracking offender locations and calculating release dates, the Legislative Auditor said in a report released today.

Auditors found that the data for offender locations were not always accurate in the Department’s computer system, particularly for offenders housed in local facilities, because DOC policy does not include a timeframe for notification when an offender is transferred, the state auditor said. For instance, out of 100 offender files that were reviewed, 11 (11 percent) listed an incorrect location for the specific inmate, and four of the inmates were classified as violent offenders.

Not having an effective way to keep track of offenders is a concern, Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera said. “The public’s safety depends on officials knowing where all inmates are at all times – anything less is unacceptable.”

Auditors also found that DOC’s procedures for monitoring data entry, especially for offenders in local facilities, were not sufficient to identify all errors. Out of 100 offender files sampled from nine local facilities and one state facility, 19 percent contained at least one error.

In addition, DOC’s process for calculating offender release dates was inconsistent, which could result in errors, the report said. Calculating an offender’s release date involves manual calculations performed by staff and automatic calculations performed by the Department’s computer system. DOC does not have any policies, procedures, manuals, or agency-wide guidance in place that details the correct way to calculate release dates.

The evaluation found as well that former employees still had access to the Department’s computer system and the ability to change data. Specifically, 38 percent of the people with access to the system were former DOC employees, which could pose a risk to data security. The Department lacks policies and procedures to make and/or monitor changes to its computer system.

For more information contact:

Legislative Auditor
225.339.3800



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