Community Corrections: Ensuring Results Through Evidence-Based Practices (IEJ Seminar)

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https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/31859

Community corrections in Ohio refer to a system of specific facilities that provide residential and non-residential services to criminally convicted persons. The programs provide an intermediate residential sanction at the front end of the correctional system between probation and prison, called diversion, and re-integration services at the tail end of the system between prison and parole, called transition (Burrell and English 2006. Evidence-based practice is the application of science into operational practice for services and programs, in this case, for offenders. The objective is to use practices that have been empirically tested and have shown to reduce recidivism among offenders. With this in mind, the symposium seeks to bring together academia, practitioners and policy-makers to continue the dialogue on the application of research in reducing criminal activity. This will be achieved by participants attending a variety of sessions that high light research-supported best practices in Ohio, implementation strategies and lessons learned.

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Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Session IV: Success Stories in Ohio
    (2008-02-22) Gibson, Bruce; Shively, Randy; Connell-Fruend, Anne
    A panel of community corrections directors, representing both residential and non-residential programs, discusses the successes and pitfalls they have encountered in implementing evidenced based practices in their programs. Topics include: using assessment tools to their full potential to individualize case planning; truly following the case plan; the EQUIP program; and making data driven decisions regarding your program.
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    Session III: Correctional Programming and Research Design: What the Project Greenlight Evaluation Can Tell Us
    (IEJ (ODRC and CJRC), 2008-02-22) Wilson, James
    Project Greenlight was an intensive, prison-based reentry program designed to provide soon-to-be released inmates with the resources perceived to be most central to their successful reintegration. Delivered eight week before release, the program included daily sessions of cognitive-behavioral training, practical skills, employment preparation and an on-site job developer, housing assistance, substance abuse readiness and relapse prevention, family sessions, referrals to community service providers, and the development of a release plan to help provide a degree of organization and structure after release. The initial one-year follow-up showed that intervention participants performed significantly worse than controls in terms of total arrests and felony arrests and were similar to controls in terms of revocations. A more recent examination following study participants for three years indicates that many of the negative effects associated with the intervention group have dissipated. The findings from our evaluation provide important insights for not only the theoretical and empirical literature, but also for those considering designing, implementing and evaluating offender reentry programs.
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    Session II: Using Research to Improve Outcomes: The Maryland Experience"
    (IEJ (ODRC and CJRC), 2008-02-22) Sachwald, Judy
    In the late 1990s, prompted by the discontent of elected leaders and the general public, the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation sought to reinvent community supervision in order to better protect public safety; hold supervisees accountable to victims and the community; and help supervisees to become productive and responsible. This undertaking led the Division to make a commitment to implement supervision strategies and management practices based on research, to examine performance, to develop a learning culture, to adopt innovative techniques informed by science, and to embrace change. Judith Sachwald, who recently retired after serving for 7-1/2 years as Maryland’s Director of Parole and Probation, will discuss their journey including the detours and flat tires encountered in route to better results.
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    Session I: Improving the Effectiveness of Correctional Programs through Research
    (2008-02-22) Latessa, Edward
    Research spanning some 20 years indicates the effectiveness of correctional programs is contingent upon several principles, including the risk, need and responsivity or intervention principles. Dr. Latessa summarizes these three principles through discussing prior research in this area, how to target them in correctional programming and lessons learned from the research. He also discusses some recent evidence regarding program characteristics necessary for recidivism reduction.