Technological advances enhance and improve community corrections functions in a rapidly changing global environment. From virtual office settings, innovations in communication and supervision, training and learning opportunities, and program delivery, the community corrections profession continues to explore ways to enhance community safety, improve supervision by achieving position change, and support staff via technology.

Mobile Probation Unit

Florida’s newest supervision resource is the addition of the Mobile Probation Units (MPU). The evolution of the MPU’s began when the Palm Beach County Jail was struggling with overcrowding issues. A review was conducted of those who were housed in their facility, and it was determined a great number of those were being held on a Violation of Probation (VOP). Furthermore, many violations were due to the individual under supervision failing to report to the Probation Office as instructed. To assist in alleviating overcrowding, and boost compliance, the MPU was implemented.

The first MPU is a 24-foot vehicle, equipped with a staging area and tents, folding tables, folding chairs, and locations within the bus designed to provide probation officers an area to meet with those under supervision. Designated reporting sites have been established where the MPU can be centrally located, and have public facilities, ample parking, and officer protection.

The MPU has been a great success in providing a valuable resource to those who are on supervision. Bringing services to the community affords the opportunity for success to those we supervise. Florida has recently added a new MPU.

Bicycle Units

Hillsborough County, Florida has multiple urban areas, such as the City of Tampa that has housing in condensed areas, such as apartments, condominiums, high rise buildings and subdivision neighborhoods. These communities often have multiple offenders living in the area, and State Probation Officers are overlapping in these communities supervising their offenders on community supervision/ probation.

As a result, Community Corrections started a Probation Unit where bicycles are used when conducting the supervision of offenders in urban areas. This is done in partnership with our law enforcement partner bicycle units.

This concept has shown good rewards as it allows for an efficient way of making field contacts with offenders while improving community relations in and near offender residences and employment in urban areas utilizing bicycles in a team environment.

Each officer completes a required 32-hour national training before being accepted into the program. In the near future, other urban areas of Florida will implement the Bike Program.

Virtual Offices

Today's workplace may be an onsite or offsite location that employs an array of integrative technologies, allowing for hybrid use or a totally virtual model with all users technologically connected across limitless geographical settings.

• How the New Virtual Office Could Improve Remote Work

  Date: September 20, 2022 
  This 2022 article provides numerous discussions and resources regarding virtual offices and employees’ return to work attitudes.

• No Limits: Advances in Community Supervision Technology

  Georgia Department of Community Supervision 
  Date: January 2017

• Bringing Supervision to the Community: Virtual Offices for Parole Officers

  State of Georgia Pardons and Paroles, presented at APPA 
  Date: 2015

• Remote Best Practices for Community Supervision

  Date: July 2020 
  This report is intended to provide practical recommendations and guidance for transition to remote and distance supervision practices while observing community supervision best practices. It was created by research staff and is based on interviews with leaders throughout the industry and provides recommendations comprised from the American Probation and Parole Association, Justice Management Institute, National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the Vera Institute, Council of State Governments, National Center for State Courts, and United States Courts Services. Additionally, it provides guidance on how community supervision has and will continue the transition to remote supervision in response to COVID-19 with elements of successful supervision programs and remote culture of supervision programs.

Mobile Devices

Portable devices such as smartphones, e-readers, tablets, smartwatches, wired or wireless, with communication and data exchange capabilities.

• Procuring and Implementing Offender Tracking Technology Challenges

  Date: April 2018 
  This publication by the National Institute of Justice through the Justice Technology Information Center provides key findings for agencies challenged with decision-making and procurement of offender tracking technology.

• Probation Office Pilots Lean, Open Design to Shrink Space, Rent Bills

  Date: August 27, 2014 
  This article from the US Courts showcases the spatial design of Chicago probation offices and their piloted Integrated Workplace Initiative (IWI). Goals include cutting rent costs through space-sharing and workspace mobility.

• Leveraging the Power of Smartphone Applications to Enhance Community Supervision

  Date: April 7, 2020 
  This issue paper, submitted by the technology committee of the American Probation and Parole Association on April 7, 2020, addresses the use of smartphone applications installed on a person under supervision's personal device or a device provided to the client to be used in support of the community supervision process. The paper outlines the various capabilities and expands use of the technology now available for supervision purposes, including but not limited to monitoring of location, contacts, programming, and case management.

GPS Monitoring

Global Position Systems (GPS) are software tracking systems that monitor persons under supervision’s location and movement in the community.

GPS monitoring has been the focus of several legal cases within the past ten years, including US v. Lambus (2017) and US v. Jones (2012). US v. Lambus found that wearing an ankle bracelet requires a warrant, while US v. Jones held that installing a GPS device on a vehicle to track it constitutes as a search under the Fourth Amendment. Because of the complicated legal history of GPS monitoring, agencies should have clear policies and procedures in place that dictate how and when a GPS monitor will be used.

• Leveraging the Power of Smartphone Applications to Enhance Community Supervision

  Date: April 7, 2020 
  This issue paper, submitted by the technology committee of the American Probation and Parole Association on April 7, 2020, addresses the use of smartphone applications installed on a person under supervision's personal device or a device provided to the client to be used in support of the community supervision process. The paper outlines the various capabilities and expands use of the technology now available for supervision purposes, including but not limited to monitoring of location, contacts, programming, and case management.

• The Use of Location Monitoring at the Post-Conviction Stage of Supervision

  Date: December 2021 
  This Federal Probation article from December 2021 outlines the history and ongoing importance of the use of GPS monitoring for probation and post-conviction persons on supervision.

• GPS Monitoring Practices in Community Supervision and the Impact of Advanced Analytics

  Date: January 2016 
   

• The Feasibility of Implementing Global Position System Monitoring with Crime Scene Correlation in the State of Ohio

  December 2019. 
   

Electronic Monitoring

Electronic monitoring (EM) devices use active or passive GPS tracking. Passive tracking requires the person under supervision to communicate via phone or connection through a home monitoring device (HMD), such as an ankle monitor, linked to a centralized computer system. Active tracking continuously notifies the centralized system if the person under supervision moves outside the designated radius.

• Procuring and Implementing Offender Tracking Technology Challenges

  Date: April 2018 
  This publication by the National Institute of Justice through the Justice Technology Information Center provides key findings for agencies challenged with decision-making and procurement of offender tracking technology.

• Rethinking Electronic Monitoring: A Harm Reduction Guide

  Date: September 2022 
  This 2022 position paper from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) discusses the potential negative effects of the use of electronic monitoring on persons released to pretrial supervision and persons under probation and parole supervision.

• The Use of Location Monitoring at the Post-Conviction Stage of Supervision

  Date: December 2021 
  This December 2021 study describes the types of location monitoring used by federal probation officers and the data collected for the findings.

Teleconferencing

The use of teleconferencing and video teleconferencing has grown in popularity to maintain communication between individuals and groups with broad application in community corrections. This includes engagement with persons under supervision and in treatment interventions.

• Community Corrections Technology: Experts Identify Top Needs for Tech Solutions to Probation and Parole System Challenges

  March 2021 
  Corrections agencies may turn to smart digital gear to better train and equip supervisors and monitor persons under supervision to keep them on the path toward compliance.

• What the COVID-19 Pandemic Teaches About the essential Practices of Community Corrections and Supervision

  June 2021 
  The COVID-19 pandemic occurred in the midst of a reform movement in probation and parole supervision in the United States. Because social distancing orders created significant disruptions in probation and parole, the pandemic provides an opportunity to explore the innovative ways that probation and parole officers adjusted their supervision strategies with clients.

• European Journal of Probation - Building accountability and client–officer relationships through videoconferencing

  Date: 2023 
  The COVID-19 pandemic forced community corrections agencies worldwide to use remote technologies to prevent the spread of the virus. A growing body of the literature suggests that video-conferencing is poised to be a core practice within community correctional settings. However, little is known about the best practice strategies for incorporating videoconferencing into routine supervision. We address this gap by interviewing and conducting focus groups with a sample of community correction officers from the US (N = 16).

Social Media

Internet-based networking platforms where participants share content, including personal information. Community supervision staff often gather information from these sites as an adjunct to more traditional methods of monitoring persons under supervision’s activities. Social media platforms commonly include Facebook (Meta), Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn.

• Leveraging Social Media for Reentry Programs

  Date: March 25, 2021 
  This presentation from the National Reentry Resource Center provides information on the use of social media in your supervision agency’s reentry program.

• The Use of Social Media as a Supervision Tool

  Date: April 24, 2019 
  This issue paper from the Technology Committee of the American Probation and Parole Association outlines the use of social media monitoring in supervision strategies. By accessing social networking sites, officers may find important information that otherwise might not be readily available to them. With these opportunities come challenges that agencies will need to consider and address to ensure officers understand how to use social media monitoring in an ethical manner, consistent with an agency’s mission and values.

• Issue Paper on The Use of Social Media in Community Corrections (APPA)

  Date: 2014 
  This paper was developed to elevate the awareness of the potential of social media, also known as social networking, in the field of community corrections. Monitoring client activity on social media can be an important component of the investigation or supervision process, however with opportunities come challenges. This paper will highlight the importance of establishing policies around social media use and identify some of the issues community corrections agencies may encounter as they incorporate social media in their investigation and supervision practices. Specifically, the paper addresses four areas of interest with social media usage in community corrections: client investigations and intelligence gathering; policy development available tools to assist agencies monitor social media; and training resources.

Scanning Software

Software used to scan mobile devices or computers of persons under supervision to confront compliance.

• Field Search: A Tool for Monitoring Sex Offenders

  Date: April 2010 
  A powerful tool called Field Search enables law enforcement and community corrections officers to monitor sex offenders' ready access to the Internet and manage their computer use

Case Management Software

Software which functions to improve communication between staff and across divisions of an agency and provides reports, data, and oversight to advance supervision.

• Community Corrections Automated Case Management Procurement Guide with Bid Specifications, Version 1.0

  2012 
   

• Probation and Parole Officers’ Compliance With Case Management Tools: Professional Discretion and Override

  2019 
   

Polygraph and CVS (Voice Stress)

Technology used to detect deception, most often with persons under supervision convicted of sexual offenses; polygraph, being more commonly used, and less frequently, Computer Voice Stress (CVS) systems.

• The Use of Polygraph in Sex Offender Treatment

  Date: 2012 and 2014 evaluation periods 
  This resource site from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice outlines the use of polygraphs in the state by providing an overview of agency responsibility, use of the polygraph, and the cost associated with this technology.

• Polygraph for Sex Offender Management

  Date: November 2016 
  This overview outlines the use of polygraphs for sex offenders supervised in the Federal system on Probation and Supervised Release for Federal Courts.

• Frequently Asked Questions on the Use of Polygraphs

  Date: Copyright 2010 
  This website for the American Polygraph Association discusses and answers the most frequently asked questions about the use of polygraphs.

• The Effectiveness and Future of Polygraph Testing

  Date: September 3, 2020 
  This 2020 paper from EBP Society, a community of professionals who share a commitment to evidence-based education and staff development, presents and evaluates different studies that analyzed the benefits and shortcomings of the current use of polygraphs in the United States.

• Voice Stress Analysis: Only 15 Percent of Lies About Drug Use Detected in Field Test

  Date: 2008 
  VSA software programs are designed to measure changes in voice patterns caused by the stress, or the physical effort, of trying to hide deceptive responses.[4] VSA programs interpret changes in vocal patterns and indicate on a graph whether the subject is being "deceptive" or "truthful."

Supervision Using Supervisee Smartphones

Software incorporated on the persons under supervision’s personal phone or with a device provided to the person by the agency. Smartphones expand the staff's capacity to supervise persons under supervision using virtual check-ins as an adjunct to in-person meetings. It is another tool to monitor compliance with conditions of release, address challenges with more immediacy, provide information on persons under supervision’s location, and as an opportunity to support behavior change.

• Using Remote Technology to Enhance Criminal Justice Outcomes: Webinar

  APPA 
   

• Monitoring with Smartphones: A Survey of Applications

  Date: June 2017 
  The power of this multifaceted technology combined with its prevalence within our society has made smartphone applications a very attractive supervision tool, one without the stigma associated with more traditional electronic monitoring devices.

• Leveraging the Power of Smartphone Applications to Enhance Community Supervision

  Date: April 7, 2020 
  This issue paper, submitted by the technology committee of the American Probation and Parole Association on April 7, 2020, addresses the use of smartphone applications installed on a person under supervision's personal device or a device provided to the client to be used in support of the community supervision process. The paper outlines the various capabilities and expands use of the technology now available for supervision purposes, including but not limited to monitoring of location, contacts, programming, and case management.

• Using Mobile Technology to Enhance Outcomes in Community Corrections

  Date: May 1, 2020 
  This webinar, a joint presentation from the American Probation and Parole Association and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals by Doug Marlow, J.D, Ph.D., discusses using remote technology to apply evidence-based practices in probation and parole supervision, including treatment courts and practices.

• Arkansas Division of Community Correction Texting Protocol

  Date: November 12, 2022 
  This 2020 study from global business messaging provider MessageMedia and Marquis Software, a leading platform for Offender Management Systems, outlines the outcomes of text messaging appointment reminders for community supervision.

• Community Supervision in a Digital World

  Date: 2021 
  This study provided by the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative funded by the National Institute of Justice through the Rand Corporation outlines challenges and opportunities related to supervising individuals in an increasingly digital world and what needs to occur for agencies to overcome these obstacles.

• Community Corrections Technology: Experts Identify Top Needs for Tech Solutions to Mounting Probation and Parole System Challenges

  Date: March 1, 2021 
  This 2021 article from the Office of Justice Programs outlines the need for agencies to use technology in assisting with the supervision of the ever-growing community corrections population with approaches to managing and supporting that population.

Artificial Intelligence

Using primarily computers, AI simulates human intelligence. AI’s emerging research and practice is finding its way into consideration for application within the corrections profession. However, while interest in AI is growing, it is tempered by the challenges in implementation and the ethical use of AI with persons under correctional supervision.

• Criminal Justice Testing and Evaluation Consortium, Artificial Intelligence Applications in Corrections

  Date: August 2020 
  This technology brief is the fourth in a four-part series that examines artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the criminal justice system. This brief highlights applications currently in use in corrections, including institutional corrections (jails and prisons) and community corrections (probation and parole).

• Artificial Intelligence Pulls Ahead in Recidivism Reduction

  Date: February 14, 2020 
  This 2020 Government Computer News (GCN) article, including actual research study, discusses using risk assessments to determine recidivism. This study determines the assessment use shows significantly better predictions than humans and other criminal justice practice.

• Tapping into Artificial Intelligence: Advanced Technology to Prevent Crime and Support Reentry

  Date: 2014 
  This National Institute of Justice project and article discusses the possibilities of using artificial intelligence and data to manage the supervision of specific justice-involved individuals based on risk and needs.

The categories in the equipment section describe examples of safety equipment worn by staff in the community supervision process. Federal, state, and local legislation and agency policy widely differ regarding the arming of community supervision staff and what other types of safety equipment may be worn by staff supervising persons in the community.

For information on current case law in this topic area see: AELE (Americans for Effective Law Enforcement)

Firearms

Agency policy states the type of weapons staff may carry and mandates the training requirements.

• Firearms Standards for Probation Officers in Arizona

  Date: December 2014
  This policy outlines firearms standards for armed probation officers in Arizona to include permission and qualification to carry, training, and specific approved firearms, ammunition, and holsters.

• Why Bullet Size Matters in Officer-involved Shootings

  Date: August 2017
  This 2017 Police1 article describes the effects of different calibers of weapons for armed officers.

Body-worn Cameras

Staff wearing video cameras can record actions occurring ahead or directly in front of the wearer. Commonly used in law enforcement, body-worn cameras are used less frequently in community corrections, although used in some jurisdictions as a learning and coaching opportunity with staff.

• Body-worn Cameras

  Many law enforcement agencies in America have instituted body-worn cameras. This contributed to the recent rise in interest and use of community supervision agencies. However, while several community-based supervision agencies have implemented body-worn cameras, we are still learning about the benefits and challenges of this new technology. This microsite section intends to share information from the field about body-worn cameras, including how this technology has enhanced community supervision and lessons learned.

• South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services Body-worn Cameras Policy

  Date: November 2016
  This document sets out the standards for agents' use of body-worn cameras and procedures for their use.

• A Primer on Body-worn Cameras for Law Enforcement

  Date: September 2012
  This publication from the National Institute of Justice is an extensive overview of law enforcement's use of body-worn cameras. This document can also be used by community corrections agencies contemplating the use of body-worn cameras for community supervision.

• Urban.org Body Camera Update 2018

  Date: October 2018
  This 2018 interactive site from the Urban Institute provides current laws applicable to body-worn cameras and laws specific to body-worn cameras explaining the body-worn cameras' usage and details of whether the footage can be released. Note that laws may have changed from 2018, so check the state you are referencing for potential changes in statutes and regulations for the most up-to-date information.

• Implementing a Body-worn Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned

  Date: 2014
  This publication from the Community Oriented Policing Solutions (COPS) outlines the benefits of body-worn cameras, what should be considered when implementing a body-worn camera program, and recommendations for body-worn cameras.

Defensive and Safety Equipment

Tasers (conducted energy devices) and pepper spray (such as capsicum spray) are other types of safety equipment that may be utilized in community corrections. For those agencies that employ various types of defensive equipment, specifics of use will be spelled out in agency policy.

• Pepper Spray: Research Insights on Effects and Effectiveness Have Curbed its Appeal

  Date: May 1, 2019
  This article from the National Institute of Justice outlines the science and findings for more restricted use of conducted energy devices.

• Conducted Energy Devices: Policies on Use Evolve to Reflect Research and Field Deployment Experience

  Date: November 2019
  This National Institute of Justice (NIJ) article is a follow-up and sidebar in the NIJ Journal to guide policies and the use of energy devices in law enforcement.

• Batons and Collapsible Batons

  February 2023
  This site lists the states where this resource is legal and includes some general information about the use of these devices.

• Body Armor

  November 2018
  This National Institute of Justice (NIJ) article is a review of body armor as a critical piece of safety equipment for officers’ personal protection. Although there is no such thing as bulletproof armor, ballistic-resistant body armor can protect against many types of handguns and rifle ammunition.

Research is often defined as careful consideration of a study regarding a particular concern or problem using scientific methods. Fortunately, for the past three decades, there has been a growing movement among criminologists and corrections practitioners to discern the principles of effective intervention and in deciphering what interventions have empirical support. The field has been significantly changed and much improved with the term and use of “evidence-based practices”, especially in the areas of probation, parole, and pretrial services. The following resources will provide studies in a variety of topics for practitioners from applications, policies, and practices that show promising results.

• Impact Evidence 

  Data documenting the effects of actions and whether desired objectives and goals have been reached.

• Implementation Science 

  When applied in a criminal justice context, as with other human services settings, implementation science ‘incorporates three frameworks: 1) intervention components, 2) implementation drivers, and 3) implementation states.” When applied and continuously adjusted with new data, each framework increases opportunities for achieving desired outcomes in community supervision practice.

• Evidence-Based Practices 

  Evidence-based practices (EBP) applied in correctional settings are built upon empirical research and data rather than generally depending upon anecdotal experience and perceptions. Agencies must define desired yet realistic, measurable outcomes in applying EBP in case management and of persons under supervision.

• Assessment Tools and Their Uses 

  Validated actuarial tools used to identify an individual's risk, need, and strengths to guide decision-making in case management and community supervision processes. v

• Fidelity 

  Fidelity is critical to ensure effective correctional practice. Within an evidence-based context, it ensures accurate and reliable information and data that is valid and replicable over time and in other settings. Fidelity asks, "Does the innovation adhere to the original design throughout delivery?"

Sources of support, ideas, materials, and research covering a broad range of corrections and law enforcement-related topics.

As research continues to emerge, demographics shift, and unpredictable and unprecedented events occur, leadership must be aware of the effect these occurrences have on the corrections profession and adapt and revise accepted policy and practice.

COVID-19

Caused by a coronavirus (specifically a SARS virus), COVID-19 became a worldwide pandemic. Beginning in March 2020, the effect on criminal justice and all functions of corrections have been massive, an impact that continues to resonate worldwide.

• Pandemic Preparedness and Response Among Community Supervision Agencies

  Date: 2020 
  This article discusses the results of a survey from April 2020 into how community supervision agencies adapted to the stay-in-place orders mandated by the pandemic and its impact on supervision, future planning, and preparedness.

• Pandemic Statement: Exit Statement from Community Corrections Executives

  Preparation Date: 2020 
  This statement from community supervision executives outlines recommendations and steps on the importance of best practices during the COVID-19 crisis.

• COVID-19: How are Pretrial Service Agencies Dealing with the Coronavirus?

  Date: 2020 
  This webinar presented by the National Institute of Corrections discusses the policy and implementations to address the operations for the judiciary and pretrial during the pandemic. It includes lessons learned for current and future operations.

• Maricopa County Adult Probation Department Operations During Public Health Emergency

  Date: August 2020 
  This policy example outlines the modified operations of the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy was developed to meet the requirements of federal and state orders while maintaining operations to ensure staff and public safety.

• Minimum Supervision for Probation, Pretrial and Pre-Sentence

  Undated 
  This policy from the Arizona Supreme Court sets out minimum requirements for probation departments in the state as they respond to supervision during the pandemic.

• American Probation and Parole Association Webinars on the Pandemic

  This three-part webinar series presents panelists from community corrections agencies to discuss responses and impacts of the pandemic.

  • Community Corrections Virtual Roundtable on COVID Pandemic 1
    Date: April 9, 2020
  • Community Corrections Virtual Roundtable on COVID Pandemic 2
    Date: May 12, 2020
  • Community Corrections Virtual Roundtable on COVID Pandemic 3
    Date: June 29, 2021

• American Probation and Parole: Community Corrections Roundtable #6 COVID-19 Experiences

  Date: December 2020 
  This webinar continues the discussion of the effects of the pandemic focusing on the impacts on justice-involved individuals on active supervision.

• American Probation and Parole: Community Corrections Roundtable #5: Using Research to Understand How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Changed Community Corrections Operations

  Date: December 2020
  This webinar session provides key findings by researchers and scientists from information gathered during the pandemic, reflecting the functions, experiences, and adaptations of agencies and their impacts on supervision.

• American Probation and Parole: Community Corrections Roundtable #4 Probation Officers on the Front Lines Against COVID-19

  Date: Approx. September 2020 
  This webinar continues the discussion of the impacts and effects COVID-19 has had on officers operating on the front lines of probation supervision. Individuals discuss the changes to operations and their effects while maintaining supervision of individuals.

• COVID Resources for Treatment Courts, Treatment Courts, and COVID-19: Adapting Operations

  Date: December 2020 
  The National Association of Drug Court Professionals partnered with the Northwest Professional Consortium (NPC Research) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance to research how treatment courts adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings are assembled in this report detailing the innovative ways programs overcame restrictions to keep participants engaged and healthy.

• Training During a Pandemic: The Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy's Journey into a Virtual World

  Date: June 2021 
  The authors of this article describe the response of the Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy's use of virtual classes for federal probation and pretrial services officers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learned from adopted applications to ensure quality training could continue.

• Georgia Department of Community Supervision, A Not so New Normal 2021

  Date: 2021  
  This document describes how the Georgia Department of Community Supervision responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to pursue best practices in supervising individuals while navigating the challenges of the pandemic for both staff and the justice-involved individuals under their supervision. Policies and practices were adapted to provide new methods of supervision that continued to meet the mission of the department.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Creating a culture that strives to recognize and incorporate all people's unique and important qualities and that values and backgrounds, often overlooked and underrepresented, are incorporated into the development of correctional policy and practice.

• Support of Racial Equality and Justice

  Date: July 2020 
  The resolution from the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators adopted in 2020 outlines their position on fairness and racial equality in the court systems. Creating a culture that strives to recognize and incorporate all people's unique and important qualities and that values and backgrounds, often overlooked and underrepresented, are incorporated into the development of correctional policy and practice.

• Justice Reinvestment in Vermont Results of Racial Equity in Sentencing Analysis

  Date: April 2022 
  This 2022 study by the Council of State Governments Justice Center describes the Justice Reinvestment Initiative in Vermont which examined racial equity and measures to correct existing inequities.

Language Matters

Language and terminology have the power to be uplifting. Yet, within criminal justice, there are commonly used terms and phrases that are considered stigmatizing to justice-involved persons, creating barriers to accessing necessary services and support. For example, there is a growing movement among agencies and organizations to use person-first language.

• Person-centered Language

  Date: April 2018 
  The Center for Practice Transformation, a division of the University of Minnesota’s school of social work, provides clinical tips and examples to move language from deficits-based to strengths-based and person-centered language

Executive Leadership

(policies development, decision-making, etc.)

Advances in research and technology are occurring at dizzying speed in the current environment, potentially significantly impacting the corrections profession. Leaders and policymakers must continuously be conversant with relevant advances and how and where they should be integrated into current correctional practice.

• Biometric Face Recognition: References for Policymakers

  Date: December 2020 
  This 2020 document created by the FedID community is a discussion to inform policy makers a clear understanding and foundational insights on aspects and issues of face recognition relevant to policymakers.

• Building the Technology Ecosystem for Correctional Education: Brief and Discussion Guide

  Date: August 2022 
  This U.S. 2022 Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education document provides a brief discussion guide to help states develop and sustain the necessary policy, programmatic, and technical environments to expand the use of technology in correctional education.

Recruiting staff that meet established qualifications for specific job functions. With changes in demographics and competition for qualified staff, rethinking the skills and attributes needed in the community corrections field while balancing rehabilitation through supporting behavior change and community safety objectives are critical to operating an effective and humane corrections organization. Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic has added an additional layer of complexity to the recruitment and retention of staff.

• Training Parole Agents: How Prior Criminal Justice Work Shapes Attitudes and Beliefs – Study of New Parole Agents and Attitudes

  Date: December 2020  
  This study of new parole agents sets out to compare how prior work experience in the criminal justice field can have an impact on parole agents' knowledge, attitude, and behavior towards justice-involved individuals, their support or lack for individuals' reentry and supervision in the community, and the understanding of the principles on which effective correctional interventions and programs are based.

• Arizona Probation Personnel Practices

  Undated 
  The Arizona Code of Judicial Administration is the statewide policy that outlines hiring qualifications, uniform job descriptions, and drug testing for Arizona probation officers. These standards are required and applied to hiring all adult probation officers in the state's Superior Courts.

• Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Job Description

  Date: January 2022  
  This Arizona Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation job description states the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for Community Corrections Officers hired for Community Supervision for the State of Arizona.

• Higher Education and the Recruitment, Training, and Retention of Community Corrections Personnel in the Coming Era of Criminal Justice Reform

  Date: September 2021  
  This article discusses the need for a shift in curriculum and programs in higher education to meet the needs of the community corrections industry as reforms occur and the business shifts away from the criminal justice/policing type modalities to the rehabilitation and RNR approach to community corrections.

• Surveys Reveal the Questions Interviewees Want to Ask

  Date: June 2022 
  This article from JobSage looks at hiring practices from an interviewee perspective and gives hiring authorities items to think about as hiring and retention are difficult.

• 4 Proven Strategies for Attracting and Retaining State and Local Government Workers

  Date: June 2022 
  This article is from Route Fifty, an independent organization that initially launched as Government Executive’s State and Local channel in July 2014. In 2015, Route Fifty expanded to a standalone digital publication providing resources focusing on technology and innovations in state and local governments. This resource provides a commentary on hiring and retaining public service employees.

What determines an ideal caseload size is a question that continues to vex corrections managers and supervisors. Caseload size is informed by numerous variables that may include geography (ex: informs travel time to meet with persons under supervision), the population of the region (urban or rural), types of offenses and risk levels, court orders, political environment, available resources to include staff, and roles and responsibilities of staff. In addition, work studies identify the functions of staff positions, determine the time required to carry out functions compared to time available, and identify redundancies or tasks that are no longer required, all toward gaining a better understanding of the work and contributing to identifying caseload size for different groups of persons under supervisions.

• Iowa CBC Workload Study/Preliminary Findings

  Date: March 2017  
  This webinar is a presentation on YouTube from the American Probation and Parole Association of the Iowa Department of Corrections statewide time and workload study of Community Corrections. The study is part of the statewide recidivism reduction committees' efforts.

• Maricopa County Adult Probation Staffing Ratio

  Undated   
  This document, established from a workload and time study, outlines caseload ratios adopted by Maricopa Adult Probation to ensure compliance with supervision standards of evidence-based practices.

• Caseload Standards for Probation and Parole

  Date: September 2006 
  This issue paper from the American Probation and Parole Association was published in 2006 but continues to be a point of discussion to date as agencies determine the workload issues of officers to meet the agency needs and how best to determine the proper caseload size for supervision and case management effectiveness.

• Maricopa County Adult Probation and Pretrial Services Department Workload Study and Appendix Maricopa County Adult Probation Caseload Ratios

  Date: 2019 
  The Justice Management Institute conducted this 2019 study to determine the caseload and workloads of probation and pretrial officers. The study was prompted by continuous growing budget requests from the probation department.

• Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services Pretrial and Local Probation Workload Study

  Date: June 2022 
  This study results from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) contract with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to complete a workload assessment for local probation and pretrial services in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This first assessment of pretrial and local probation agencies' workload is a baseline for future work.

• Virginia Pretrial/Probation Workload Study

  Date: June 2022 
  This document outlines the project plan for the Virginia Workload Study by the Committee for the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services Director's meeting conducted by the National Center for State Courts.

Staff safety in the 'field' is often overlooked, with the focus, more often, directed toward institutional settings. Community corrections staff routinely work independently, without backup, when making home visits or other collateral contacts. The possibility of harm to staff, physical and emotional, is ever present while performing duties in community settings.

• New Approaches to Staff Safety

  Date: March 2003 
  This NIC publication remains a relevant document to assist community corrections practitioners in designing and developing officer and staff safety programs and training based on the needs of their agency.

• ADAPT: Adaptive Defensive and Protective Tactics Research Report

  Date: March 2022 
  The Current State of Police Control and Defensive Tactics Training provides a new model program called Adaptive Defensive and Protective Tactics (ADAPT). ADAPT is based on the concept that the foundation of officer safety is the ability to adapt decisively to dynamic circumstances and conditions.

• Valor Officer Safety and Wellness Program

  Date: 2010-2022 
  This site serves as a resource for numerous training programs improving skills for safety and wellness developed through the Office of Justice Programs and has been in existence for ten years. VALOR is continuously evolving to address the various issues, concerns, and trends that law enforcement officers face and integrates the latest research and practices to address all aspects of officer safety, wellness, and performance.

A broad term that encompasses the physical and emotional health of staff working with persons under supervision.

• Community Supervision Peer Support Program Guidelines

  Date: 2022  
  This National Institute of Corrections (NIC) publication was developed and intended to support community supervision agencies, including probation, parole, and pretrial service agencies, in creating and maintaining peer support programs.

• Micromanagement: The Enemy of Staff Morale

  Date: September/October 2019  
  This article published in the American Corrections Association magazine, Corrections Today, focuses on motivating staff with encouragement and decreasing micromanagement, enhancing the workforce, and increasing staff retention.

• Developing a Trauma-informed Wellness Program

  Date: September 2021  
  The nature of the work performed by corrections professionals exposes officers and staff to both indirect and the possibilities of direct trauma daily. The importance of being informed of the impacts of trauma on staff and the need for trauma-informed programs is discussed in this article provided by Federal probation.

• Landscape Study of Application Software Products That Aim to Address the Mental Health Needs of Law Enforcement Officer

  Date: April 2022  
  This report from the Criminal Justice Testing and Evaluation Consortium (CJTEC) builds on research conducted for a better understanding of mental health needs and interventions related to law enforcement and research that explores the general use of apps as a delivery method for therapeutic modalities to assist with stress-related and trauma incurred by these professions.

• Wellness for Corrections and Supervision Professionals

  Date: 2022  
  This National Institute of Corrections publication provides a wealth of wellness resources for staff in all areas of corrections.

Training includes teaching and transferring knowledge and skills required for performing particular activities. Within a community corrections context, training can be delivered using a variety of methods, such as on-the-job training and shadowing, classroom or virtual delivery and the practical application of skills.

• Micro-Skills for Community Supervision Professionals (under development)

  Date: September 2012 
  As agencies have adopted the training for Core Correctional Practices and officers using more relational and face-to-face meetings with justice-involved individuals as the science has established, this article discusses the challenge of getting officers to use the practices once trained.

• The Importance of Coaching: A Brief Survey of Probation Officers

  Date: September 2012 
  As agencies have adopted the training for Core Correctional Practices and officers using more relational and face-to-face meetings with justice-involved individuals as the science has established, this article discusses the challenge of getting officers to use the practices once trained.

• Probation Officer Attitudes Towards Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Rearrest

  Date: September 2021 
  This study of Federal probation officers' view on using the STARR program of core correctional practices provides insight into the support and, more importantly, beliefs in using this intervention.

• Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation Curriculum Writing Effective Case Notes in Community Corrections

  Undated 
  This power point and training is an excellent source of training for officers writing effective case notes in supervision files and systems. In addition, it can easily be adapted for any agency use.

  • Download the PowerPoint File
  • Watch the accompanying Vimeo video

• Lesson Plan in Case Planning Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry

  Date: 2019 
  As case plans are a critical component of supervision, this document is an excellent generic case plan training that any supervision department can utilize. 
  Download the PowerPoint

• Online Learning to Advance Justice, Health, and Research

  Date: October 2021 
  The Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) presents this resource and website. The site allows for registration and accounts to provide training and resources for people with substance use.

• U.S. Courts – Probation and Pretrial Services Training Academy

  Established in 2005 at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)-Charleston, the Academy provides newly appointed U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services officers with the skills necessary to safely begin their new careers. The Academy also provides instruction to U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Officers who are serving as their district's firearms instructor or officer safety instructor.

• The Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy: Making a Well-Rounded Officer

  Date: March 2017 
  This video outlines the complete academy requirements for federal probation and pretrial officers, describing the job duties and highlighting the knowledge, skills, and abilities from officer safety to case management in a highly professional manner.

• State of Oregon Basic Training for Parole and Probation Officers

  Undated 
  This site outlines the hiring and training requirements for Oregon parole and probation officers as required by the state. In addition, the basic certification information and forms for application, the field training manual for officers, and a guidebook for officers are included.

• Training Parole Agents: How Prior Criminal Justice Work Shapes Attitudes and Beliefs

  Date: December 2020 
  This study of new parole agents sets out to compare how prior work experience in the criminal justice field can have an impact on parole agents' knowledge, attitude, and behavior towards justice-involved individuals, their support or lack for individuals' reentry and supervision in the community, and the understanding of the principles on which effective correctional interventions and programs are based.

• State of Arizona Probation Officer Certification Academy (armed)

  Date: January 2022 
  This document describes probation officers' required classes in the Arizona certification academy. The academy classes are updated to include the skill sets required to meet evidence-based practices for risk, needs, and responsivity in supervision. Additionally, the academy offers targeted classes for adult and juvenile populations.

• Arizona Probation Officer Certification and Training (unarmed)

  Date: August 2014 
  This document from August 2014, is the Arizona Code of Judicial Administration, which outlines the required training for new probation officers statewide under the state's judiciary system.

• State of Oregon Basic Training for Parole and Probation Officers (armed courses)

  Date: 2020 
  The State of Oregon's basic training for parole and probation officers was revised and updated in 2020 to improve the firearms training program with the understanding that a sufficient revision would extend the duration of training. The curricula were piloted in 2019 and found it met objective and subjective benefits and recommended their its full adoption into the training academy.

• The Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy: Making a Well-Rounded Officer (YouTube Video)

  Date: March 2017 
  This 16-minute, 55-second video produced by the US Courts provides an overview of the sixteen-week standardized training all new Federal Probation and Pretrial officers receive. This video shows the various areas of training and the methods used to ensure that graduates are well-rounded officers ready to serve when they return to their home districts. Officers learn basic core tasks in probation and pretrial, interpersonal skills and relationship building, investigative skills, self-defense, firearms safety, and more over a six-week course.

• Outcomes of Motivational Interview Training with Probation and Parole Officers: Findings and Lessons

  Date: December 2018 
  This study from the Federal Probation Journal shares results on the required motivational interviewing training for probation and parole officers, provides lessons from implementation science, and recommendations for quality assurance and fidelity improvement.

• Florida State University Institute for Justice and Research

  Undated 
  This website outlines classes and learning opportunities for professional and entry-level training for all participants in the criminal justice field. Training is customized to meet agencies' goals to work effectively within an equitable system of research-based justice.

• Treatment Resources for Programming

  Date: October 2021 
  This webinar by Reconnect provides a panel of speakers introducing treatment program resources from CJ-TRACK and other sites.

• Resources and Tools for Criminal Justice Programs

  PowerPoint included in the Treatment Resources webinar.

• Welcome to the CJ-TRAK Knowledge Translation Tool Suite

  Undated 
  The Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!) at George Mason University developed the CJ-TRACK resource. The site provides resources that support using tools linked to risk, needs, and responsivity.

• Implementation Teams: The Missing Link for Scaling and Sustain Effective Practice

  September 2020 
  This article discusses the requirements for effective and ongoing training of staff.

• Georgia Department of Community Supervision

  Field Training Officer Program Manual, Checklist, Observation/Evaluation Form, and Policy 
  Program Manual: Undated 
  Checklist: Undated 
  Observation/Evaluation form: Undated 
  Policy: July 2021

  These documents outline the field training officer (FTO) hours required for each class of the basic officer training for Community Supervision Officers (BCSOT), a checklist for the mandatory training requirements of FTOs, an observation/evaluation report to rate performance, and the department's policy and procedure statement on FTO guidelines and criteria for hiring, training, and assignments.

• State of New York and Westchester County Probation Training

  Date: January 2022 
  This template provides the required training for the New York Basic Course for Peace Officers training established and updated by the Division of Criminal Justice Services for the State of New York.

• Higher Education and the Recruitment, Training, and Retention of Community Corrections Personnel in the Coming Era of Criminal Justice Reform

  Date: September 2021 
  This article discusses the need for a shift in curriculum and programs in higher education to meet the needs of the community corrections industry as reforms occur and the business shifts away from the criminal justice/policing type modalities to the rehabilitation and RNR approach to community corrections.

• Relationship Building for Justice - How the Probation Officer-Client Relationship Can Make the Difference

  Undated 
  This training model is a 30-minute interactive experience created by Strayer University with consultation by David Muhammad, Executive Director of The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR). This module provides demonstrations by practitioners on building relationships and communication skills with persons under supervision for more successful outcomes. Note, Creative Commons use.

• Judiciary Now: Developing Officer Safety from Real Life Tragedy

  Date: October 2016 
  This video from US Courts and Federal Probation shows real life scenarios for officer safety training.

• Staffing for Success: Establishing Core Competencies and Training Supports for Corrections and Community Corrections Staff

  Date: December 2020 
  This document, funded by the Office of Justice Programs, is a matrix developed by the Iowa Department of Corrections to focus on staff core competencies department-wide. These competencies were developed over three years and focused on culture change from enforcement strategies to behavior modification.

• Safety Training for Arizona Probation Officers

  Date: July 2021 
  This Arizona State Supreme Court policy outlines required safety training for all probation officers and surveillance officers, adult and juvenile, armed or not armed, in the state.

• Verbal De-Escalation Techniques PowerPoint and Lesson Plan

  Date: 2018 
  This sample lesson plan presentation is used in the Arizona Probation Certification Academy for all probation officers, armed or unarmed.

• Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) PowerPoint and Lesson Plan

  Undated 
  This lesson plan and presentation by the Administrative Office of the Courts are used in the statewide certification academy for probation officers in Arizona for OC spray.

Also referred to as remote training or e-learning, virtual training is commonly used in community corrections. Virtual training provides a wide range of opportunities for staff to gain relevant knowledge, enhance current proficiencies, and interact with peers and supervisors, without the time and expense of travel. Virtual training can be delivered in real-time via teleconferencing or live webinars and at the learner's convenience through e-learning courses and podcasts. Within the rapidly changing learning environments, community corrections agencies are converting in person training to virtual training, capturing new audiences, and expanding training capacity.

• New Officer Virtual Training Outline

  Undated 
  This paper showcases the required online remote training for all new Maricopa County Adult Probation officers. The training provided an alternative virtual training method to ensure training requirements were met during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Training During a Pandemic: The Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy's Journey into a Virtual World

  Date: June 2021 
  The authors of this article describe the response of the Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy's use of virtual classes for federal probation and pretrial services officers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learned from adopted applications to ensure quality training could continue.

Employee retention strategies are practices an organization follows to retain its staff (e.g. through compensation, policies, benefits, office perks, etc.). The agency’s main intent when planning those strategies is to minimize employee turnover.

• Stay Interviews

  Conducted while still on the job, the interviews are a powerful tool to identify elements that contribute to employee satisfaction (what brings you to work every day, how can this agency support you in your role?) and conversely uncovering what drives employees to leave their positions (no clear path to advancement, unpredictability of schedule). While not all employees have the personal flexibility to leave their position, many see more attractive career paths beckoning them and leaving, often creating staffing challenges for the organization. Agencies that focus on retention can better plan for the future.

• Role Clarification, Why Fuss Over It?

  Undated 
  This document by Brad Bogue of J-SAT addresses the issue of staff supervision and the need for role clarification regarding the staff's understanding of this concept when supervising what they call "non-voluntary supervision." Should role clarification be incorporated into the supervision concept of justice-involved individuals and staff doing the supervision?

• Employee Retention: Preventing a “Great Resignation” in Your Public Safety Agency

  Date: August 2022 
  Beyond a reduction in labor force, turnover also comes with a big price tag for the agency. The Work Institute estimates turnover costs employers roughly $15,000 per employee.

• A Corrections Workforce for the 21st Century

  Date: June 2019 
  This article from Federal Probation discusses the need for future effective community supervision and how to advance officers by building a culture of effective practice beyond what, how, and why.

• Micromanagement: The Enemy of Staff Morale

  Date: September/October 2019 
  This article published in the American Corrections Association magazine, Corrections Today, focuses on motivating staff with encouragement and decreasing micromanagement, enhancing the workforce, and increasing staff retention.

• Higher Education and the Recruitment, Training, and Retention of Community Corrections Personnel in the Coming Era of Criminal Justice Reform

  Date: September 2021 
  This article discusses the need for a shift in curriculum and programs in higher education to meet the needs of the community corrections industry as reforms occur and the business shifts away from the criminal justice/policing type modalities to the rehabilitation and RNR approach to community corrections.

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.

• Landscape Study of Application Software Products That Aim to Address the Mental Health Needs of Law Enforcement Officer

  Date: April 2022 
  This report from the Criminal Justice Testing and Evaluation Consortium (CJTEC) builds on research conducted for a better understanding of mental health needs and interventions related to law enforcement and research that explores the general use of apps as a delivery method for therapeutic modalities to assist with stress-related and trauma incurred by these professions.

An active, practical application to enhance the transference of skills taught in training. In field training, staff shadow or work alongside experienced corrections professionals to sharpen skills and gain practical experience, and are coached to identify and reach personal goals and work toward achieving professional milestones.

• The Importance of Coaching: A Brief Survey of Probation Officers

  Date: September 2012 
  As agencies have adopted the training for Core Correctional Practices and officers using more relational and face-to-face meetings with justice-involved individuals as the science has established, this article discusses the challenge of getting officers to use the practices once trained.

• Lane County Oregon Parole and Probation Police Training Officer Training Manual

  Date: April 2022 
  This training manual was developed by Lane County, Oregon's training team as they identified and determined that they wanted something different for officer training. The training developed and adopted as policy is a new approach to training officers, which leaves the trainees feeling empowered, competent, and valued members of the organization, including coaching and personal development.

• Roles, Responsibilities, and Competencies for Supervision

  Undated 
  This training module presentation supports the approach to supervision with the identity of a coach. A curriculum can be built around this module which cites several articles regarding the officer as a coach.

What determines an ideal caseload size is a question that continues to vex corrections managers and supervisors. Caseload size is informed by numerous variables that may include geography (ex: informs travel time to meet with persons under supervision), the population of the region (urban or rural), types of offenses and risk levels, court orders, political environment, available resources to include staff, and roles and responsibilities of staff. In addition, work studies identify the functions of staff positions, determine the time required to carry out functions compared to time available, and identify redundancies or tasks that are no longer required, all toward gaining a better understanding of the work and contributing to identifying caseload size for different groups of persons under supervisions.

• Caseload Standards for Probation and Parole

  Date: September 2006
  This issue paper from the American Probation and Parole Association was published in 2006 but continues to be a point of discussion to date as agencies determine the workload issues of officers to meet the agency needs and how best to determine the proper caseload size for supervision and case management effectiveness.

• Maricopa County Adult Probation and Pretrial Services Department Workload Study and Appendix Maricopa County Adult Probation Caseload Ratios

  Date: 2019
  The Justice Management Institute conducted this 2019 study to determine the caseload and workloads of probation and pretrial officers. The study was prompted by continuous growing budget requests from the probation department.

• Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services Pretrial and Local Probation Workload Study

  Date: June 2022
  This study results from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) contract with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to complete a workload assessment for local probation and pretrial services in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This first assessment of pretrial and local probation agencies' workload is a baseline for future work.

• Virginia Pretrial/Probation Workload Study

  Date: June 2022
  This document outlines the project plan for the Virginia Workload Study by the Committee for the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services Director's meeting conducted by the National Center for State Courts.

Probation is a legal punishment imposed by the judicial system. In criminal law, probation is a term of supervision of an individual that is enforced by a judge.

• Collateral Consequences Resource Center

  Undated 
  Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction and Restoration of Rights is a non-profit organization through the nonprofit National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) that promotes public engagement on issues raised by the legal restrictions and societal stigma that burden people with a criminal record long after their criminal case is closed. It has an array of information.

• Probation Officer Roles: A Statutory Analysis

  Date: December 2015 
  A study of probation officer duties in statutes and practice from the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Washington State University, looks at the changes in probation work over the past 30 years because of statutory requirements and the law in contrast to the practice of a balanced approach which supports the direction in which community corrections is moving based on science.

• Use of Structured Sanctions and Incentives in Probation and Parole Supervision

  Date: July 2020 
  This study from the Robina Institute of Law and Criminal Justice provides research on the use of sanctions grids used by probation and parole agencies and the impact on recidivism compared to the agency benefit of using resources and lowering the use of custodial sanctions.

• Low-risk Offenders Under Probation Supervision: Risk Management and the Risk-Needs-Responsivity Framework

  Date: August 2018 
  This study by Jill Viglione and Faye Taxman explores the probation officer's perceptions on the use of telephonic supervision of low-risk probationers and how the officer attitudes impact the supervision and the tendency to over-supervise due to the perception of telephone monitoring and public safety.

• 

  Probation Reform in Arizona

  Date: April 2018 
  Arizona has saved millions of dollars by keeping people out of prison since it introduced a more rigorous adult probation program in the early 2000s and continues today. This video presented by the PBS station in Phoenix describes changes being made with justice-involved individuals and the changes necessary for probation officers to change the probation culture.

• Los Angeles Probation Governance Study/Review of Best Practices in Probation

  Date: April 2017 
  This article by Resource Development Associates (RDI) provides an overview of the Los Angeles Probation Department based on components developed by RDI to include all aspects of the operations of probation. In addition, each section outlines the observations of the subject areas.

• Roles, Responsibilities, and Competencies for Supervision

  Undated 
  This training module presentation supports the approach to supervision with the identity of a coach. A curriculum can be built around this module which cites several articles regarding the officer as a coach.

• A Scalable Empathic Supervision Intervention to Mitigate Recidivism from Probation and Parole

  Date: March 2021 
  This Psychological and Cognitive Sciences study of probation and parole officers review the options of an empathetic supervision approach to supervision by promoting empathy from officers to understand the individuals on probation or parole better and better understand from their perspectives to reduce violations and recidivism.

• 50 State Survey: Probation and Parole Fees

  Date: May 2022 
  This publication from the Fines and Fees Justice Center Reform Alliance provides a state-by-state review of the scope of probation and parole fees and the consequences for failure to pay at the time of publication.

• Just the Facts: Revocations for Failure to Comply with Supervision Conditions and Sentencing Outcomes

  Date: June 2022 
  Just the Facts is a feature that highlights issues and trends in the judiciary based on data collected by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO).

• Surfing the Three Waves of CBT in Community Supervision

  Date: December 2021 
  This article from Federal Probation discusses the impacts of cognitive behavioral therapy programming on justice-involved individuals during probation supervision visits.

• Employment-based Earned-Time Credits in Adult Supervision

  Date: September 2021 
  This 2021 study from the Cicero Institute, a nonpartisan group of policy innovators with government experience in legislative, research, technology, and more, outlines the concept of earned time credits and an incentive-based approach to individuals while on supervision.

• Violence and Gun Violence Among Justice-involved Persons: Practice Guidelines for Probation Staff

  Date: June 2022 
  This article from Federal Probation outlines interventions and supervision strategies for persons with a violent conviction, weapons conviction, or history of violent behavior. It includes information on violence and gun violence, how existing supervision strategies affect how we supervise those with violent behaviors, and promising approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapies and education and family programming impacts.

• Intimate Partner Violence Among Justice-involved Persons: Practice Guidelines for Probation Staff

  Date: June 2022 
  This study from George Mason University, published in Federal Probation, outlines the types of intimate partners involved in the criminal justice system and guides supervision and interventions.

The remaining time on an unexpired incarceration sentence with specific conditions to be served in a community setting. The parole board is the authorizing authority that determines release and sets conditions for community supervision.

• Collateral Consequences Resource Center

  Undated 
  Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction and Restoration of Rights is a non-profit organization through the nonprofit National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) that promotes public engagement on issues raised by the legal restrictions and societal stigma that burden people with a criminal record long after their criminal case is closed. It has an array of information.

• 

  50 State Survey: Probation and Parole Fees

  Date: May 2022 
  This publication from the Fines and Fees Justice Center Reform Alliance provides a state-by-state review of the scope of probation and parole fees and the consequences for failure to pay at the time of publication.

• Use of Structured Sanctions and Incentives in Probation and Parole Supervision

  Date: July 2020 
  This study from the Robina Institute of Law and Criminal Justice provides research on the use of sanctions grids used by probation and parole agencies and the impact on recidivism compared to the agency benefit of using resources and lowering the use of custodial sanctions.

• A Scalable Empathic Supervision Intervention to Mitigate Recidivism from Probation and Parole

  Date: March 2021 
  This Psychological and Cognitive Sciences study of probation and parole officers review the options of an empathetic supervision approach to supervision by promoting empathy from officers to understand the individuals on probation or parole better and better understand from their perspectives to reduce violations and recidivism.

• Employment-based Earned-Time Credits in Adult Supervision

  Date: September 2021 
  This study from the Cicero Institute, a nonpartisan group of policy innovators with government experience in legislative, research, technology, and more, outlines the concept of earned time credits and an incentive-based approach to individuals while on supervision.

• Violence and Gun Violence Among Justice-involved Persons: Practice Guidelines for Probation Staff

  Date: June 2022
  This article from Federal Probation outlines interventions and supervision strategies for persons with a violent conviction, weapons conviction, or history of violent behavior. It includes information on violence and gun violence, how existing supervision strategies affect how we supervise those with violent behaviors, and promising approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapies and education and family programming impacts.

Pretrial is the period of time between when formal charges are filed, and a trial or other court proceedings take place. Pretrial release refers to the conditions of release from custody to which defendants must adhere during this time.

• Considerations for Jurisdictions Seeking Pretrial Reform

  Date: April 2022 
  This podcast from MDRC, a private organization created in 1974 by the Ford Foundation and federal agencies to improve the well-being of people who are economically disadvantaged, with Leigh Parise, host, and Brit Henderson, a research associate at MDRC's Center for Data Insights and Center for Criminal Justice Research, provides an overview of pretrial services reforms effectiveness and why jurisdictions might consider the use of pretrial services and the challenges these changes present.

• Pretrial Justice Reform Study: Evaluation of Pretrial Justice System Reforms That Use the Public Safety Assessment

  Date: November 2019 
  This study by MDRC outlines the effects of New Jersey’s criminal justice reform pertaining to pretrial assessments and release decisions after the adoption of the Public Safety Assessment.

• Pursuing Pretrial Justice Through an Alternative to Bail

  Date: September 2020 
  This report from MDRC shows the findings from an evaluation of New York City’s Supervised Release Program after implementing this supervision program as an option other than bail.

• 

  What If? 10 Questions for Sparking Local Pretrial Change

  Date: November 2021 
  This resource document from the Pretrial Justice Institute is meant to assist discussions for Pretrial Reform with local jurisdiction stakeholders.

• The Statutory Framework of Pretrial Release

  Date: November 2020 
  This publication from the National Conference of State Legislatures outlines state by state pretrial.

• Pretrial Justice Institute PJI Publications and Resources

  Undated 
  The Pretrial Justice Institute, an independent private organization that partners with foundations and other organizations dedicated to pretrial reform. They have a wide array of publications, including information on risk instruments, pretrial practices, and links to interactive maps on incarceration data.

• Pretrial Research Summaries | Advancing Pretrial Policy & Research (APPR)

  Undated 
  Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research is a resource guide and website providing pretrial research summaries on a variety of pretrial topics which examine the effectiveness of pretrial practices. The wide range of topics is continually reviewed and updated as research is available. New training and webinars are also included on this site.

• Violence and Gun Violence Among Justice-involved Persons: Practice Guidelines for Probation Staff

  Date: June 2022 
  This article from Federal Probation outlines interventions and supervision strategies for persons with a violent conviction, weapons conviction, or history of violent behavior. It includes information on violence and gun violence, how existing supervision strategies affect how we supervise those with violent behaviors, and promising approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapies and education and family programming impacts.

Violations and revocations are the outcomes of failing to comply with conditions imposed by the courts (probation) or parole boards (parole.) If the authorizing body (probation or parole) deems the individual not to be in compliance with the conditions set forth, the legal status can be rescinded, and the individual's probation or parole is revoked, often with a return to incarceration or return to the community with additional or revised conditions.

• 

  Pathways to Success on Probation

  Date: October 2021 
  This study from the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance explores the driving forces of violations and revocations.

• Probation Revocation and Its Causes: Profiles of State and Local Jurisdictions

  Date: 2016 
  The Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice through the University of Minnesota provides several articles on causes of probation revocations through profiles of various state and local jurisdictions.

• Indiana University Public Policy Institute Center for Health and Justice Research

  Date: June 2021 
  The Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute provides this review of probation revocations in Monroe County, Indiana. The review includes overall revocation trends, individual-level factors, and systems-level factors for revocations. In addition, it summarizes several operational implications through client characteristics and combinations of the client, officer, and system behaviors through supervision.

• Just the Facts: Revocations for Failure to Comply with Supervision Conditions and Sentencing Outcomes

  Date: June 2022 
  This Federal Probation article highlights the cause of revocations for technical violations while on supervised released.

• 

  Technical Revocations of Probation in One Jurisdiction: Uncovering the Hidden Realities

  Date: December 2015 
  This exploratory study from Federal Probation sought to determine if there were any factors contributing to technical revocations in the jurisdiction not previously considered by either local or state officials, or that have not been thoroughly reviewed in the scholarly literature.

• Research in Brief: Drug Testing as a Condition of Supervision

  Date: May 2020 
  This research by the Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice reviews the pros and cons of drug testing from various studies and practices across jurisdictions and the impact on reducing recidivism.

A reciprocal contractual agreement between states that facilitates the transfer of community supervision of an individual. The Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS) was revised in 2002 to "guide the transfer of offenders in a manner that promotes effective supervision strategies consistent with public safety, offender accountability, and victim's rights."

• 

  The Road Home Documentary

  Follow six individuals as they navigate the winding road from incarceration across state lines to community supervision closer to home. They are transfer candidates of the Interstate Compact, a collection of regulations and rules guiding the movement of individuals who have been incarcerated miles from home. The compact gives them the chance to serve the remainder of their sentences among family and social supports, which have been shown to have a positive effect on reducing the likelihood of an individual committing future crime.

  • Watch the Documentary
  • Interstate Compact’s training site

• Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision

  The mission of the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS) is to help protect the public and provide justice-involved individuals with their best possible opportunity for success.

Specialty caseloads focus on certain specialized topics or risk areas. Often these caseloads are smaller. In addition, staff may have specialized training and expertise, allowing supervision and treatment to be tailored to the person under supervision.

Criminal Sexual Behavior

Misdemeanor and felony offenses with a sexual component. Legislation regarding what constitutes a sexual offense varies widely from state to state. While the majority of such offenses are found in state statutes, federal offenses are defined in Title 18 of the US Criminal Code.

• 

  South Carolina’s newest K9 officer helps keep communities safe from offenders

  Cybercrime can be a difficult crime to track due to electronic media storage devices used by criminals. However, thanks to a new tool added to the state’s department of probation, parole and pardon services, explicit digital material will be easier to find. In the Palmetto State, there are almost 700 registered sex offenders. “The sex offenders under the department’s jurisdiction are supervised by trained probation and parole agents,” said Chad Gambrell, South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Service deputy director. These agents are with the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. The department houses a digital forensics unit. These technicians analyze any electronic devices that are found during a search of a sex offenders residence. They look for sexually explicit material on these devices such as anything inappropriate or violates the law. However, some computer flash drives can be as small as a penny. To help find these, the department is recruiting the help of a canine officer.

• South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services Policy & Procedure for Electronics Detection Canine (EDC)

• The Use of Polygraph in Sex Offender Treatment

  Date: 2012 and 2014 
  This resource site from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice outlines the use of polygraphs in the state by providing an overview of agency responsibility, use of the polygraph, and the cost associated with this technology.

• Polygraph for Sex Offender Management

  Date: November 2016 
  This overview outlines the use of polygraphs for sex offenders supervised in the Federal system on Probation and Supervised Release for Federal Courts.

Drug Treatment Court

• Guide to Methamphetamine Use, Treatment, and Housing Considerations for People Experiencing Homelessness

  Date: April 2022 
  This guidance manual from the Homeless and Housing Resource Center (HHRC) April 2022, published by Policy Research Inc., is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website. It provides information about methamphetamine basics and the drivers of its use, housing considerations for those using methamphetamine, and treatment and management approaches for the general population, but applicable to populations under community supervision.

• 

  Pretrial Justice Reform Study: Evaluation of Pretrial Justice System Reforms That Use the Public Safety Assessment

  Date: November 2019 
  This study by MDRC outlines the effects of New Jersey’s criminal justice reform pertaining to pretrial assessments and release decisions after the adoption of the Public Safety Assessment.

• Jail-based Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in the Era of Bail Reform

  Date: 2022 
  This document is a qualitative study of barriers and facilitators to implementing a state-wide medication treatment initiative from Addiction Science and Clinical Practice (2022).

• Criminal Justice Involvement after Release from Prison following Exposure to Community Mental Health Services among People Who Use Illicit Drugs and Have Mental Illness: A Systematic Review

  Date: May 2022 
  This study of studies from Advances in Prevention Science reviews data from people released from jail and prison who use illicit drugs and have a mental illness.

• A Matter of Public Health and Safety: How States Can Support Local Crisis Systems

  Date: June 2021 
  This report includes guidance from the Council of State Governments and supported by SAMSHA and the Veteran’s Administration.

• Finding the Loopholes: A Cross-sectional Qualitative Study of Systemic Barriers to Treatment Access for Women Drug Court Participants

  Date: June 2015 
  This study from BMC’s Health and Justice Journal, an organization of peer-reviewed journals from research communities in science, technology, engineering, and medicine, outlines barriers for women in drug courts and challenges experienced by drug court participants showing the social determinants of health for women.

• Implementing Specialized Caseloads to Reduce Recidivism for People with Co-Occurring Disorders

  Date: February 2021 
  This article from the Council of State Governments Justice Center describes the key steps and components of creating specialized caseloads for individuals under supervision who have co-occurring disorders to improve supervision outcomes.

• Doug Marlowe Talks Drug Courts

  Date: December 2012 
  This National Association of Drug Court Professionals presentation by Doug Marlowe covers risk, needs responsivity, and dosage in this presentation on drug courts. This comprehensive presentation also includes data on crime reduction and cost benefits. [Video]

• COSSUP - Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program

  COSSUP’s purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to develop, implement, or expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants and other drugs.

• Office of National Drug Control Policy

  Date: Undated 
  ONDCP leads and coordinates the nation’s drug policy so that it improves the health and lives of the American people. ONDCP is responsible for the development and implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy and Budget.

Mental Health

While offenses vary, caseloads will consist of persons under supervision with discernable mental health challenges. The terms mental health and behavioral health are often used interchangeably. Mental health relates more to thoughts and feelings, while behavioral health is "a far more expansive term that incorporates not just our mental wellness, but the way our thoughts play out in real life."

• Criminal Justice Involvement after Release from Prison following Exposure to Community Mental Health Services among People Who Use Illicit Drugs and Have Mental Illness: A Systematic Review

  Date: May 2022
  This study of studies from Advances in Prevention Science reviews data from people released from jail and prison who use illicit drugs and have a mental illness

• A Matter of Public Health and Safety: How States Can Support Local Crisis Systems

  Date: June 2021
  This report includes guidance from the Council of State Governments and supported by SAMSHA and the Veteran’s Administration.

• Individuals with Mental Illnesses in the Criminal Legal System: Complex Issues and Best Practices

  Date: June 2022 
  This article from Federal Probation outlines the complexity of supervision for persons with mental illness. It includes information on what probation staff may need to know about severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI), types of SPMIs, dual-diagnosis concerns with physical health, substance abuse, and trauma, evidence-based treatment models, and how probation staff can support and enhance treatment models while on supervision.

Domestic Violence

Also referred to as intimate partner violence, "includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as sexual coercion and stalking by a current or former intimate partner.1 An intimate partner is defined as a person with whom the person under supervision had or has a close personal or sexual relationship." Statutes will differ from state to state on what defines misdemeanor and felony domestic violence charges.

• Intimate Partner Violence Among Justice-involved Persons: Practice Guidelines for Probation Staff

  Date: June 2022 
  This study from George Mason University, published in Federal Probation, outlines the types of intimate partners involved in the criminal justice system and guides supervision and interventions.

  Endorsing Community Corrections’ Response to Domestic Violence: Guidelines for Practice 
  2013.

Justice-Involved Veterans

Offenses and caseloads vary but are limited to those who have actively served in the various branches of the military.

• 

  Justice Involved Veterans - Micro-site

  Undated 
  This micro-site is dedicated to Justice Involved Veterans and includes the Justice Involved Veterans Network (JIVN)

• Veterans Treatment Courts

  Date: May 2016

  “It’s a win-win. There is absolutely no downside to attempting to deal with those underlying issues that bring veterans into the criminal justice system.”

  — Judge Lawrence Fox,Director, Treatment Courts, Cook County, Illinois

Justice Involved Women

Caseloads consisting of adult women representing a variety of offense types. Research shows that there are specific facets unique to women, that might occur at higher rates with women, or have a different impact on women (ex: reproductive health, sexual violence and mental health).

• Overlooked: Women and Jails in an Era of Reform

  Date: 2016 
  This Vera Institute of Justice report is part of the Safety and Justice Challenge Project. It focuses on the issue of incarcerated women and their unique stories and needs when involved in the criminal justice system.

• Supervision of Women Defendants and Offenders in the Community

  Undated 
  The use of gender-responsive strategies with women involved in the community corrections system is explained.

• National Directory of Programs for Women with Criminal Justice Involvement

  Undated 
  The programs on this site are varied in the populations they serve and services provided. This database is intended for correctional stakeholders working across front end decision-making, pre-trial release, jail and prison reentry and covers topical areas such as parenting programs and substance abuse and/or behavioral health.

• Justice-Involved Women

  Undated 
  The number of justice-involved women has skyrocketed -- at rates exceeding men. Their entry into the criminal justice system, offense patterns, and levels of risk often follow a different path than men and require more targeted approaches. Correctional administrators need to understand and address these differences to improve outcomes for women offenders.