02/29/2012 02:00 PM

Developing effective prison- and jail-based programs that mitigate the likelihood that an individual will reoffend after release is important to policymakers and practitioners at both the state and local levels. However, until recently little was known about which “behind-the-wall” treatment programs are most effective at decreasing criminal behavior, as well as which type is most cost effective.

This National Reentry Resource Center webinar will help policymakers and practitioners better understand how to design and implement “behind-the-wall” treatment programs that research has proven effective.

The webinar will cover the following topics:

• Research findings on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions;
• Best practices for designing, selecting, and implementing programs;
• Successful cognitive behavioral interventions and how to train staff to deliver these interventions;
• Research findings on how the intensity and dosage requirements of an individual’s treatment plan varies based on his/her risk level;
• How to prioritize what programming an individual receives based on his/her risk level and the time until his/her release; and
• How an agency can monitor the degree to which its program is consistent with its initial design.

Attendees can ask the presenter questions about any of these or other related topics in the last 30 minutes of the webinar.



The presenter for this webinar is Kathleen Gnall, an independent consultant with extensive experience working with criminal justice professionals, policymakers, community and business leaders, social service providers, and members of faith-based and non-profit organizations to enhance public safety while improving individual outcomes. Ms. Gnall spent 17 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PDOC), where she served as executive assistant to the secretary of corrections; the director of policy, planning, research, evaluation and grants; and the deputy secretary for specialized programs and reentry.

Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET

To register for this webinar, click here.

02/26/2011 09:00 AM

The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) will hold their Winter Training Institute at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in San Diego, CA from February 26 through February 29, 2012.  Click here for conference and registration information.

02/28/2012 03:00 PM

Leveraging JAG Funds for Successful Reentry will look at two home-grown initiatives that lower recidivism and save taxpayers money.  The El Paso County Reintegration and Recovery Program and the Multnomah County Reentry Enhancement Coordination Program use differing variations of a multi-disciplinary, multi-system approach to lower recidivism by 25-33 percent.  Through the use of evidence based mental health, substance abuse and wrap around services, these programs are working with returning citizens to improve protective factors and lower risk factors associated with recidivism.  Based in Colorado and Oregon, these successful reentry programs were seeded with Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds provided by the respective State Administering Agencies.  The speakers for this webinar include Paula Presley, Bureau Chief for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and it’s Reintegration and Recovery Program and Truls Neal, District Manager for the Adult Division of Multnomah County Department of Community Justice. 

Date: February 28, 2012
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Click Here to register for the webinar

03/12/2012 08:00 AM

Hosted by North Carolina DOC: Raleigh Women's Prison
March 12-16, 2012
 
Applications are currently being accepted for agency/facility teams of three. The agency should select the three participants and notify CSP Evelyn Bush at e1bush@bop.gov prior to submitting an application at www.nic.learn.com
 
Course Description: The needs of women in a correctional setting pose unique challenges to implementing operational practices that may have been designed without their gender differences in mind. While some operations may apply broadly to the handling of all types of inmates, other operations need to be tailored to the unique medical, social, and legal needs of women inmates. Communication techniques for working with women also change.
 
In addition to receiving traditional classroom instruction, participants in Operational Practices in the Management of Women’s Prisons will explore the operation of a women’s facility and analyze operations from a gender-informed perspective. The curriculum is focused on contemporary research, which supports a management/operational style that recognizes gender differences. Module topics may include legal issues, communication, women’s pathways to prison, gender-responsive principles, and staff sexual misconduct.
 
Eligibility Requirements: Managers and leaders who influence policy or work in direct supervision of women offenders are encouraged to apply. Trainers in preparation for agency training on the same topic and multidisciplinary management staff may also apply. States may apply to host this program on or near their women's facility, where visiting participants will be able to view various operations.

03/19/2012 10:00 AM

ICCA's Washington DC Policy Forum is a wonderful opportunity to meet with representatives from agencies involved in the Federal Re-entry Council. They include the Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Corrections, Federal Bureau of Prisons as well as Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs. Learn about pending federal legislation, sentencing and policy issues affecting community corrections. A special keynote address will feature ways to address racial disparity and how to engage communities in policy changes. Join community corrections leaders, researchers, probation, parole and juvenile justice professionals at ICCA's Annual Policy Forum in Washington D.C. Please send in your conference registration form now. Registration Form (online). Registration Form (download).

What you will take home from the policy forum is a national perspective and links for helping your community build community corrections at home. Learn about promising new approaches to help in tight financial times. Schedule a meeting with your House and Senate Representatives and their staff and expand your network and possibilities for improved program results! Take a look at ICCA's schedule of presentations that will broaden your horizons and give you help for the work at home in 2012. Click here for hotel registration information.

05/06/2012 01:00 PM

Evidence- Based Sentencing, Managing Needs and the Risk Principle Conferenece will highlight what community corrections offers to improve sentencing reform.

States are facing budget cuts and prison releases but are they taking time to examine how community corrections can improve sentencing results? ICCA is planning a two day intensive program to bring together judges, prosecutors, the defense bar, probation, parole and community corrections professionals to consider their options at home, Click here for preliminary schedule. The conference will include a showcase of risk and assessment tools as well as hands on information about how to select tools that are effective. Click here for hotel information. If you have not yet registered, time is running out to receive the early bird registration rate. Click here for Registration form (download) and here for Registration form (online). The Reno Conference fee is $225 for two full days of events.

Learn the tools, strategies, and techniques that will allow corrections staff, mental health service providers, and advocates to work together to develop and implement a crisis intervention team (CIT). CITs help reduce crisis situations, improve safety, and promote better outcomes for persons with mental illness. 

About the Training
Participant teams attending this training will learn the core elements of a locally developed and owned CIT for managing mental illness in prisons, jails, and community corrections. Teams will learn how to develop collaborative partnerships and implement a CIT model that takes a team approach engaging community stakeholders, including corrections agencies, local mental health agencies, family advocacy groups, and others.

Participants will also learn how to defend a CIT’s effectiveness in enhancing correctional staff’s knowledge and skills, aiding administrators in improved management and care for a special population, reducing liability and cost, improving community partnerships for increased access to resources and supports, and increasing safety for all. Overall, this training program focuses on building an agency’s capacity to implement a locally owned and administered CIT program and the training for that program.  Click here for a flyer with more training and registration information.

March 12 - 15, 2012 - Apply by December 19, 2011.
July 16 - 19, 2011 - Apply by April 16, 2012.

Click here for a schedule of Association of State Correctional Administrators and American Correctional Association meetings for 2012 through 2016.

The National Forum on Recidivism was held in Washington D.C. on December 8, 2011 that included policymakers from all 50 states to focus on improving success rates for people released from prison. The event positioned states to set goals, or to expand on existing goals, for reducing recidivism through cost-effective strategies in their communities.  Click here for photos from the event and photos of representatives from states that participated in the event.

National Forum Examines Strategies for Improving, Reducing Cost of Prisoner Reentry

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today sponsored a forum of policymakers from all 50 states to focus on improving success rates for people released from prison.   The event positioned states to set goals, or to expand on existing goals, for reducing recidivism through cost-effective strategies in their communities.

“In this time of economic challenges, we must continue to use every tool and strategy at our disposal to protect the American people while reducing costs to taxpayers,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Today’s national forum demonstrates the Justice Department’s firm commitment to working with its partners in the states and non-governmental organizations to improve public safety by supporting efforts to assist formerly incarcerated people as they return to their communities to become productive members of our society.”

In partnership with the Council of State Governments, the Association of State Correctional Administrators, the Public Welfare Foundation and the Pew Center on the States, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is working with all 50 states to identify and pursue cost-effective strategies on their investments in public safety.   Following today’s forum, participants will begin setting measurable goals for reducing recidivism; creating plans to achieve these goals by drawing on the latest research and experiences from the field; and identifying benchmarks state and federal policymakers can use to track progress.

Click here for the full Press Release.

The 2011 All Directors Training Program was held at the National Corrections Academy in Aurora, CO on December 2 and 3.  The two-day program featured ten sessions including an opening emerging and critical issues discussion, a closing roundtable discussion and eight sessions addressing a variety of important topics.

Click Here for photos from the All Directors Training Day 1
Click Here for photos from the All Directors Training Day 2

The 2011 Special Issues Seminar, Community Connections: Developing Effective Strategies for Offender Success was held at the National Training Academy in Aurora, CO on December 1, 2011.  Click here for photos from the 2011 Special Issues Seminar.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than 700,000 individuals are released from prisons yearly—with an additional 9 million adults cycling through local jails. Research indicates that employment is an important component of successful reentry, but most offender programs do not address the complex behavioral health issues that impact the offender’s ability to obtain and retain gainful employment while remaining crime free. Offender programming should target individuals at high risk for recidivism, address the dynamic influences that predict crime, and provide interventions specific to the needs of offenders. During this national discussion sponsored and broadcast by the National Institute of Corrections broadcast on November 2, 2011, participants will explore evidence-based practices that increase public safety while helping to reduce recidivism.  Click here to view the video of the satellite broadcast.

The Midwest Regional Directors' Conference was held October 13-16, 2011 in Lexington, KY.  The busy meeting featured program sessions: Working with the News Media: It Doesn't Have to Hurt; The Public Safety and Offender Accountability Act: HB 463; EMR and Telemedicine; Auditing Made Easy - The Electronic Audit; Technology Issues in a Changing Corrections Environment; Greening of Our Institutions; and The Road Ahead - Evidence-Based Programs.
Click here for the full meeting agenda.
Click here for photos from the 2011 Midwest Regional Directors' Meeting

Information about the national automated Performance-Based Measures System (PBMS) was provided during a broadcast on September 14, 2011. PBMS is an accurate, consistent system to capture, record, report and share data between correctional agencies created by the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA).  The panels described the scope and development of PBMS regarding how specific needs give rise to PBMS solutions; described the key components of PBMS; examined the benefits of using the PBMS during and Evidenced Based Practice decision making process; and identified available resources that support implementation of PBMS.

Click here to download the webcast video.

During the broadcast, participants were encouraged to submit questions to the panel but not all questions were addressed during the broadcast.  Click here to download the responses to those questions.  ASCA has created a forum to continue the dialog about PBMS.  If you are able to sign into the ASCA web pages, sign in and click the link to the forum to post your comments and questions.  If you are not able to sign in, send your comments or questions to pbms-support@asca.net.

September 14, 2011 PBMS Broadcast Forum. 
Click here to view forum responses in the Forum Posts Section.