To the extent that the programming plan encompasses many different offices, agencies, or representatives working with the same person in prison or jail, timely communication between the providers and any centralized programming planning team or team leader is critical to the success of the overall system. Corrections and other public safety agencies should also collaborate with program planners to share information regarding offenders at all stages of the criminal justice process. Information concerning a person's pre-sentence investigation, sentence, or criminal history, as well as victim contact and notification information, should be part of his or her electronic file upon his or her admission to the facility. Regular communication among all the relevant stakeholders permits the programming plan both to meet the needs of the person and to account for potential risks to public safety.

Ideally, any relevant information about an inmate would be automatically shared and available through an electronic network. An electronic data management system should be systemwide, allowing program planners, counselors, and program coordinators to regularly update an inmate's file to reflect completed programming, reassessments, security assignments, sanctions, credits, risks, and needs. Issues of confidentiality must be addressed, using tools such as modern data encryption and password systems, or though the maintenance of a limited paper case file. While such electronic systems may require a substantial initial cost, the increased communication, efficiency, and paper reduction can offset that investment.

Example: Transitions Project, Oregon Department of Corrections

Oregon's Department of Corrections creates a "Corrections Plan" for each individual in the facility. The Corrections Plan, which is entered into a computer file, identifies specific activities to be performed and skills to be learned (in the form of specific programs and services) to mitigate the risk factors identified in an individual's assessment process. Because the Corrections Plan is automated, it "travels" with the person during his or her entire incarceration and out into the community during any period of community supervision.

When such information is not available in the form of an integrated data management system, it is especially critical that the parties working with a particular individual meet to share information with each other on a regular basis. (See Policy Statement 5, Promoting Systems Integration and Coordination, for a discussion of appropriate information sharing and privacy protections.)