The term SARATSO refers to evidence-based, state authorized risk assessment tools used for evaluating sex offenders.
State law established the SARATSO (State Authorized Risk Assessment Tools for Sex Offenders) Review Committee, to consider the selection of the risk assessment tools for California. Research shows that the most accurate way of predicting whether a sex offender will reoffend is by utilizing a validated risk assessment instrument.
A collaborative approach to sex offender management, known as the Containment Model, is used in California. Communication and collaboration among the supervising officer, treatment provider, and polygraph examiner are the heart of this model, which relies on ongoing communication about risk.
To learn more about SARATSO and the legislation that governs our work, please refer to Penal Code 290.04 - 290.09.
Passage of SB 1473 – This bill statutorily changed the requirement for score submissions to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for dynamic (Stable-2007) and violence (LS/CMI) risk assessments. SB 1473 revised PC290.09(b)(2):
“ The certified sex offender management professional shall, as soon as possible but not later than 30 days after the assessment, provide the person’s score on the SARATSO dynamic tool and the future violence tool to the person’s parole agent or probation officer. Within 30 days of the assessment, a certified sex offender management professional shall send the score to the Department of Justice using the dynamic and violence risk assessment tool database used by SARATSO.”
All dynamic and violence risk scores shall be completed in the G.I.F.R GEARS database, starting no later than January 1, 2025. Additionally treatment providers must submit the person’s score and interpretation of the score in writing to the probation officer or parole agent within 30 days of scoring. Please contact SARATSO with any questions at SARATSO@cdcr.ca.gov.