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About APPA

Introduction

As the voice of the community corrections industry, the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) serves as the field’s leading professional membership association. Our work is supported by thousands of passionate members throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as other countries actively involved in strengthening community corrections work.

APPA has members at all levels of government and the private sector, including:

Community corrections professionals, service providers, libraries and educators, research students, volunteers, concerned citizens, corporations, public policy advocates, and others with an interest in criminal and juvenile justice.


Our Purpose

Everything APPA does is aimed at reducing recidivism to keep our communities safe. That means strengthening the role of the community corrections industry.

APPA informs the field
  • Perspectives
  • CC Headlines
  • Research reports, guides, and webinars
  • Web-based products and services

APPA develops professionals
  • Training Institutes
  • Leadership Institutes
  • Onsite training
  • Online training

APPA leads best practices
  • Advocating for EBP and policies in the field
  • Organizing committees
  • Hosting issue-specific working groups
  • Leading focus groups


Our Commitment

More than 40 years ago, APPA made a commitment: to provide national representation for the community corrections industry. Over the years, we have fine-tuned the specifics of this broad goal.


  1. Instilling confidence in the community corrections industry
  2. Serving and engaging the more than 90,000 community corrections professionals in America
  3. Providing a safe space for dialogue and resolution of the many issues facing the community corrections workforce
  4. Utilizing the latest and best technology to deliver training and disseminate information
  5. Assisting in the growth and professional development of community corrections and supervision professionals
  6. Providing networking opportunities for students and professionals to share ideas and exchange information about what works in the field
  7. Offering support, direction, and resources to jurisdictions that are grooming the best of industry professionals
  8. Working continuously to define our role in public policy and expand our presence, both nationally and internationally


Transparency

At the heart of community corrections work is fostering the honesty and integrity that transforms lives and builds strong communities. APPA applies the same standard to the work of our organization.

In the spirit of accountability, we make our records available to the public



Our History

Prior to the founding of APPA, community corrections professionals had no collective voice. Having no national representation fighting for best practices and policies in our field inspired some of America’s most distinguished correctional administrators to act.

Giving community corrections a voice

In 1974, New York State Probation Director Walter Dunbar chaired the Probation Committee of the American Correctional Association (ACA). At a meeting in Houston, Texas, the committee agreed the probation industry could no longer effectively function without national-level representation. On that day, they agreed to form the American Probation Association.

Founding APPA

It didn’t take long to realize that probation had a twin, of sorts, that also needed representation at a national level – the parole industry. Soon it was decided to invite parole professionals into the organization’s membership. On August 19, 1975 – at the American Congress of Corrections in Louisville, Kentucky – our organization was renamed the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA).

See a list of our past presidents!    |    Learn about our current governance!