OBIS Screens and Case Notes

Question 1

Updating OBIS Screens

Answer 1

Case records for an offender under supervision consist of hard copy file documents and OBIS electronic information.

A good caseload management practice is to review your entire caseload periodically. This enables the Department to comply with the operational mandates of providing protection to the community through effective monitoring of offenders and ensures that you comply with supervision procedures.

Periodic caseload reviews will also assist you in determining what tasks to perform

Question 2

OBIS Update

Answer 2

Examples of new information or tasks that may prompt an OBIS update can include:

• sentence status, level, and type—contact standard requirement
• offender treatment—provides status of offender court- or sentencing authority-ordered treatment status
• special conditions—reflects status of special conditions
• contact notes—provides contacts made with offender and related comments
• urinalysis results—may change contact standard requirement of offender

Question 3

OBIS Reports

Answer 3

OBIS can generate the following reports, which after review, may indicate that offender information is not up to date:

• employment—generates list of offenders with employment record
• residence—generates list of current addresses of offenders
• monetary obligations—generates list of offender financial obligations
• personal identifiers or characteristics—generates list of offenders by name, DC number, and personal characteristics

Question 4

New Offender Information - OBIS

Answer 4

New offender information may direct you to complete a form that will require supervisory review and approval before updating offender information in OBIS, such as:

• Felony Disposition and Sentencing Data form—records sentencing data
• Court Ordered Payment System Input form—records information about court- or sentencing authority-ordered obligations
• Intake Investigation Entry Transaction Register form—assigns an offender to a particular officer

Question 5

Caseload Management Report

Answer 5

(an OBIS-generated summary of active offender status with conditions of supervision and tasks that you or your supervisor needs to complete). The caseload management report is a type of case review system you or your supervisor can generate at any time.

It provides an up-to-date view of an offender’s current obligations and due dates. You may view these reports either in OBIS or as a printed copy. Common Caseload Management Reports generated in OBIS include:

• offender residence
• offender characteristics
• offender employment
• offender treatment
• special conditions of supervision
• offender case notes

Question 6

Case Notes

Answer 6

(permanent electronic entries made in OBIS that record information related to an offender). Case notes provide an official and chronological record detailing the events or actions that occur during an offender’s supervision.

Case notes can protect you against criticism for non-performance of duties. Write case notes professionally, clearly, concisely, accurately, and factually, as they are subject to public records requests. Use case notes as legal record when testifying in court proceedings.

Information entered in case notes may come from multiple sources, such as:

• contacts with an offender
• offender’s family
• treatment provider
• employer
• community
• law enforcement
• court officials
• victims
• educational staff
• contract providers
• anonymous tips

Enter case notes on the Offender Contact History screen either the same day or the next business day for field entries. Case notes should answer the questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how you took action. Once entered, you cannot alter or delete case notes in OBIS