Implementing Evidence Based Practices in Probation Departments

Presented By: Natalie Pearl, Ph.D. (Natalie.Pearl@SDCounty.ca.gov)

Director of Research, San Diego County Probation

By the end of this training you will have the tools to:

• Understand the Infrastructure Needed to Implement EBP

• Locate appropriate research using the internet

• Understand the elements of research design

• Evaluate the research that you find

Target Intervention

• Risk Principle– Prioritize supervision and treatment resources for higher risk

offenders

• Need Principle– Target Interventions to criminogenic needs

• Responsivity principle – Be responsive to treatment, learning style, motivation, culture

and gender when assigning programs

• Dosage– structure 40-70% of high risk offenders time for 3-9 months

• Treatment– integrate treatment into the full sentence/ sanction

requirement

Research Summary Table

Internet Resources

                                        

 

NIC/CJI Implementing Effective Correctional Management of Offenders in the Community: Outcome and Process Measure Development

Published Date: 2004 File Size: 361.54 KB File Type:   PDF Informational elements needed for outcome measures, system process measures, program measures, and individual performance measures for evidence based practices, system process measures for organizational development, and system process measures for collaboration are clarified. Each element is delineated by its required or recommended use, components, definition, tool/data source, description, frequency, and who collects the data.

Criteria Scholarly Journal Popular Magazine Trade Magazine/Journal

Example

Content (Accuracy) In-depth, primary account of original findings written by the researcher(s); very specific information, with the goal of scholarly communication.

Secondary discussion of someone else's research; may include personal narrative or opinion; general information, purpose is to entertain or inform.

Current news, trends and products in a specific industry; practical information for professionals working in the field or industry.

Author (Authority) Author's credentials are provided; usually a scholar or specialist with subject expertise.

Author is frequently a journalist paid to write articles, may or may not have subject expertise.

Author is usually a professional in the field, sometimes a journalist with subject expertise.

Audience (Coverage) Scholars, researchers, and students.

General public; the interested non-specialist.

Professionals in the field; the interested non-specialist.

Language (Coverage) Specialized terminology or jargon of the field; requires expertise in subject area.

Vocabulary in general usage; easily understandable to most readers.

Specialized terminology or jargon of the field, but not as technical as a scholarly journal.

Accountability (Objectivity) Articles are evaluated by peer-reviewers* or referees who are experts in the field; edited for content, format, and style.

Articles are evaluated by editorial staff, not experts in the field; edited for format and style.

Articles are evaluated by editorial staff who may be experts in the field, not peer-reviewed*; edited for format and style.

References (Objectivity) Required. Quotes and facts are verifiable.

Rare. Little, if any, information about source materials is given.

Occasional brief bibliographies, but not required.

Research Summary Table

WWW.EndNote.Com

Statistics: What do you really need to know?

• Uni-variate Statistics describe

• Bi-variate shows association/ relationship

• Multivariate indicates a causal relationship and helps predict outcomes

Goals, Outputs, Outcomes & Indicators

• Goals– Highest level: Improve Community Safety

• Outcome– What your program will achieve– What your clients are getting

• Output– What your organization / officers are doing

• Indictors – how you know what your officers are doing

Youthful Offender Program

• Goal– Reduce crime committed by youth age 18-24

• Outcome– Increase employment/education of YOP participants within 60

days of case assignment– Decrease Drug Use by YOP participants after 90 days of

supervision• Output

– Make multiple referrals for employment / education each week until employed

– Verify participation in AOD programs / Random drug tests• Indictors

– Count of referrals by officer / participant– Tally AOD logs / negative tests

Making Outcomes Measurable

• The XYZ program will improve functioning of its clients

• Probationers who receive intensive supervision will have reduced recidivism

• DUI check points will reduce drunk driving in our county

Still Sorta Fuzzy??

• What do you need to know to answer the question: – Do Youthful Offenders supervised on a YOP

caseload commit fewer crimes than similar youth on traditional caseloads?

– Do DUI check points reduce drunk driving?– What is the recidivism rate for juveniles

released from Juvenile Hall?

Vision for the Future

With the support of knowledgeable IT and Business managers, Probation Departments across the state will base policy and programming decisions first and foremost on information collected through valid and accurate research and will collect evidence that will allow for the verification or refutation of the continued use of these programs.