The Department of Criminal Justice needs to be more consistent in spelling out performance standards for contractors providing substance abuse treatment programs in prisons and halfway houses, according to a report by the state auditor.

The report, released today, said the Department allowed several of the contractors to conduct their own criminal background checks on their employees, contrary to its own policies for employment.

The Department also failed to require financial disclosure information from several providers, making it difficult to determine how efficiently those businesses are operated.