A Ten-Step Guide to Transforming Probation Departments to Reduce Recidivism
This publication from The Council of State Governments Justice Center outlines four core practices probation leaders and policymakers should follow when working to reduce recidivism and improve public safety in their communities, which are: (1) effectively assessing peoples' criminogenic risk and needs, (2) employing smart, tailored supervision strategies, (3) using incentives and graduated sanctions, and (4) implementing performance-driven personnel management practices that promote and reward recidivism reduction.
A Ten-Step Guide to Transforming Probation Departments to Reduce Recidivism also describes how officials can engage key stakeholders, evaluate agency policies, and develop a strategic plan for implementing reform; provides recommendations for redesigning departmental policies and practices; and includes steps for making a department transformation permanent. Included are numerous examples of how these steps were used in the Travis County, Texas, probation department, which saw felony probation revocations decline by 20 percent and one-year rearrest rates fall by 17 percent after implementing practices outlined in the guide.
Online Course
In 2019, the American Probation and Parole Association released an online course designed in partnership with the National Reentry Resource Center. Based on A Ten-Step Guide to Transforming Probation Departments to Reduce Recidivism, the course provides a ten-step action plan to help a probation department visualize transformation of its practices from beginning to end, and to align it with the four practices of recidivism reduction.
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Explainer: Key Findings and Options from Arkansas’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative
Arkansas policymakers have long expressed concerns about the state’s high recidivism rate. Over the past 10 years, an estimated 72 percent of prison admissions in the state involved people who were revoked from supervision, with unmet substance use and mental health challenges playing a significant role in these failures.
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State of the States: Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Priorities in 2025
Governors emphasized a wide range of criminal justice and behavioral health initiatives in this year’s state-of-the-state addresses. From Alaska to Washington, governors across the U.S. highlighted significant progress in reducing crime rates, combating the opioid crisis, and expanding mental health services. They also noted areas for improvement, some of which will be legislative priorities in 2025.
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Apply Now for Resident Analyst Program to Increase Data Analysis Capacity at Departments of Corrections
Corrections leaders balance the complex priorities of maintaining public safety, operating secure facilities, providing needed care and services to the incarcerated population, and coordinating with other agencies.
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Five New CSG Justice Center Board Members Look to Strengthen Communities and Improve Public Safety
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The CSG Justice Center Advisory Board establishes the policy and project priorities of the organization. The board features a cross-section of leaders who shape criminal justice policy in various parts of the country.
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The CSG Justice Center Advisory Board establishes the policy and project priorities of the organization. The board features a cross-section of leaders who shape criminal justice policy in various parts of the country.
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