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.
The SARATSO Review Committee has approved an alternative form of identification if a client’s State Criminal Identification Number (CII) cannot be located on record. If the CII cannot be found, SARATSO Certified Scorers shall list the client’s Probation Number within the CII field in GEARS. If the client does not have a Probation Number, the scorer will include the client’s initials and last four digits of the SSN in place of the CII (e.g., John Doe Smith, or John Smith, with SSN 123-45-6789 would be listed as JDS6789 or JS6789). Please refer to the GEARS FAQ’s located on the password protected SARATSO Certified Scorers Portal for further instruction.