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Critical Incident Response and After-Action

Critical events can and do happen in community corrections. "Responding to a critical incident requires a complex and multi-faceted approach - the way in which the event is handled can quickly determine whether it evolves into a crisis situation." In addition, what unfolds after a critical event can have a long-lasting effect on an organization and its staff. Elements of an after-action process examine whether the response protocol was effectively implemented, what worked or didn't, and what revisions need to occur to eliminate or mitigate the effects of future critical events.