FY23 Massachusetts SJS Program

The Massachusetts Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) requests funds for a core capacity-building project. The primary goal of this project is to identify and address compliance among medical providers with completing and submitting Provider Sexual Crime Reports (PSCRs), a unique data source that allows the state to capture detailed information on sexual assaults including those not reported to law enforcement. The SAC has identified a low compliance rate for medical providers sending the PSCR forms. Due to the high number of agencies involved in this process, addressing the lack of compliance has been challenging. The SAC is proposing a two-phase interview and survey process to identify barriers and increase collaboration among agencies, with the eventual goal to increase the quantity and quality of PSCRs received by the SAC. The first phase of the project involves interviews with key leadership across agencies within the PSCR process including law enforcement, crime labs, Department of Public Health, and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Based on the findings from these interviews about their roles, responsibilities, and barriers in the PSCR process, a set of survey questions will be developed. In phase two, the survey will be distributed to day-to-day operations staff including staff at the crime labs, local police departments, and hospitals. At the completion of these surveys, a final report will be created that includes recommendations for addressing barriers and increasing compliance. Accurate reporting of the PSCR is a high priority as these statistics are used in grant applications, reimbursement for victim’s hospital expenses, and is a unique data source for sexual assaults within Massachusetts. Through this project, the SAC will forge new relationships with agencies involved in the PSCR process, define clear roles and responsibilities among PSCR staff, and create a collaborative plan for moving forward to increase the SAC’s ability to collect criminal justice data and improve data quality.