Press Release  Bump Issues State Audit of Barnstable Superior Court

Boston — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump today released an audit of the Barnstable Superior Court which identified improvements needed in its operations including Probation Office oversight of the collection of probation fees and its monitoring of community service.

Today’s audit reported that Probation Office of the Barnstable Superior Court (BSC) did not consistently hold hearings or issue notices of surrender, as required, when the probationers failed to pay their monthly probation supervision fee. The administrative hearings assess a probationer’s ability and willingness to pay monthly probation supervision fees after falling behind two consecutive months. Auditors also found the Probation Office was not effectively tracking all the hours of community service performed and, as a result, cannot readily determine the amount of hours owed, the corresponding dollar amount of community service hours, and whether probationers are able to fulfill the requirements of court orders on schedule.

Auditor Bump’s review also found that the Clerk’s Office was not notifying the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) when defendants do not pay the required legal counsel fee within 60 days from the appointment of counsel. As a result, the Commonwealth may not be utilizing all available means to collect the money to which it is entitled.

During the audit, auditors identified a lack of secure storage space. However, because the building that houses the Clerk of Courts and Probation offices is controlled by the Barnstable County Commissioners, the offices cannot implement improvements to address the risks posed by a lack of secure storage space. While BSC has collaborated with county officials on the issue, no workable plan has been developed yet to tackle the concern. Auditor Bump encouraged both the courts and the county to continue working together to find a solution.

The Office of the State Auditor conducts technical assessments and performance audits of state government’s programs, departments, agencies, authorities, contracts, and vendors. With its reports, the OSA issues recommendations to improve accountability, efficiency, and transparency.

The Barnstable Superior Court audit is available here.

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