Sex Offender Commitment Program (SOCP) Home Page

WHAT IS THE SARATSO?

The term SARATSO refers to State authorized risk assessment tools used for evaluating sex offenders. Senate Bill 1128, Alquist (Chapter 337, Statutes of 2006) established the state committee, known as the SARATSO (State Authorized Risk Assessment Tool for Sex Offenders) Review Committee, to consider the selection of the risk assessment tools for California.

Static-99:

The Static-99 is the instrument that is currently in use by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to designate a parolee as a High Risk Sex Offender (HRSO). This instrument has become the only statewide risk assessment tool for adult males, which is mandated to be used by CDCR to assess every eligible inmate prior to parole and every eligible inmate on parole. The Static-99 is a research derived actuarial risk assessment tool designed to predict sexual recidivism.

Juvenile Sexual Offense Recidivism Risk Assessment Tool-II (JSORRAT-II):

The JSORRAT-II was developed using an actuarial approach in an attempt to bring greater accuracy and utility to risk assessments for male juveniles who have offended sexually, recognizing the potential for accurate risk assessment to inform a range of decisions, including placement, programming, supervision, and other resource allocation decisions.

The JSORRAT-II is a 12-item actuarial risk assessment tool initially developed for Utah Juvenile Justice Services to provide empirically-based estimates of risk for future juvenile sexual offending by male juveniles in the juvenile justice system for prior sexual offenses.

Decisions by the Committee:

On July 1, 2008 the JSORRAT-II is further mandated for use by the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to assess every eligible individual prior to release. (Pen. Code, 290.06).

Please feel free to direct any questions or concerns to the Department of Mental Health, Kimberly Anderson, M.A., Associate Mental Health Specialist and SARATSO Committee Member at (916) 651-2067 or by e-mail Kimberly.Anderson@dmh.ca.gov.

What’s New

The SARATSO Review Committee has heard testimony from several experts who have authored risk assessment tools, the public, and many stakeholders in the field of risk assessment. The Review Committee has considered all testimony and reviewed the presentations in concert with the associated requirements established in Penal Code Section 290.04. The following is a synopsis of the Review Committee’s decisions.

The Review Committee has decided to continue with the Static-99 as the SARATSO for adult male offenders. The Review Committee has further selected the J-SORRAT II as the SARATSO for juvenile male offenders. Please click on the following links for more information: