The 2015 General Appropriations Act directed the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to contract with an independent consultant to study the operations of the Department of Corrections with regard to the incarceration of inmates. To complete this study, OPPAGA contracted with Carter Goble Associates, LLC, a company that provides consulting services in the areas of criminal justice and correctional facility planning and security. As directed, the study examines both positive and negative aspects of the department's operations, specifically assessing security operations, correctional officer staffing, inmate programs, and risk and needs assessment.