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.
Our plan—developed with the National Resource Center on Children & Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University-Camden and…
Read More
The CSG Justice Center Advisory Board establishes the policy and project priorities of the organization. The board features…
Read More
"AOT is a complex community intervention that can be effective or not depending on how it is implemented.…
Read More
First-of-its-Kind Plan for States to Support Children and Families with Incarcerated Parents
Our plan—developed with the National Resource Center on Children & Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University-Camden and the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at UConn—provides evidence-based, trauma-informed strategies for corrections leaders and policymakers to strengthen parent-child connections and reduce recidivism.
Read More
Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness and Incarceration: Q&A with New CSG Justice Center Advisory Board Member Wayne Niederhauser
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.
Read More
Involuntary Treatment for Patients in the Justice System: Q&A with Dr. Marvin Swartz
"AOT is a complex community intervention that can be effective or not depending on how it is implemented. The question about its effectiveness is better phrased as: for whom and under what conditions can AOT be effective?"
Read More
Reentry 2030 States Explore Day 1 Employment Readiness After Incarceration
8 states gathered to discuss workforce solutions for formerly incarcerated people.
Read More
Local Criminal Justice System Innovations in Mental Health Services: Q&A with CSG Justice Center Advisory Board Member Dr. Doreen Williams
"It is the humane, person-centered approach that supports and stabilizes individuals, their families, and their communities."
Read More
2025 Nominations Now Open for Judges and Psychiatrists Improving Lives and Behavioral Health
The Judge Stephen S. Goss Memorial Award for Leadership has expanded to include Lifetime Achievement Awards and, in 2024, the first-ever Team Collaboration Award.
Read More