VOLUME 46, NUMBER 1 THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERIC AN PROBA TION AND P AROLE A SSOCIA TION HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES IN AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE (EBP) AGENCY3 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION The theme of this Perspectives—human resources issues in an EBP agency—makes me think about the shift in attitude that came along when “personnel departments” began to become “human resources departments.” That terminology change, which began to really take hold by the 1980s and 1990s, is interesting to ponder. It reflects an increased focus on the humanity of the individuals who were being hired and who spent years applying their talents and skills on behalf of their employers. Employers increasingly were thinking of people as a “resource” of crucial importance. They were recognizing more than ever before that success only comes through people. Ensuring a mutually beneficial relationship between the employer and the employee ensures that talent and knowledge are not wasted. We all know that dedicated, educated, and competent personnel are crucial to the success of any endeavor—and that is certainly clear throughout the criminal justice field. We rely on each other and are a team. Most of us also know, unfortunately, the negative impact on the working environment when there is a coworker, subordinate, or supervisor who is neglectful, unethical, controlling, or demeaning. Community corrections agencies must do their best to ensure employee satisfaction, both for their own benefit, in terms of retaining staff talent and knowledge, and for the intrinsic value of promoting the health and well-being of those on staff. Turnover is costly and losing highly trained and talented people is a blow to any agency. We must foster healthy relationships between coworkers—and, importantly, with managers. We must ensure each department becomes a respectable place to work and will accordingly attract the best people. In part that means helping staff develop a work- life balance that allows them to be happier both at work and at home. Meeting these goals must be intentional – it takes planning and effort – it is not just a matter of putting up a few inspirational posters. I trust that the articles in this issue will both increase awareness and give suggestions and tools for furthering these goals. Staff truly are our greatest asset – they are our heroes and should be treated as such. Treating individuals well and making them feel valued and respected equates to a higher level of productivity; and that in turns equals better outcomes and chances of success for individuals under community supervision. It is fitting that the moving tributes made by Jason Stauffer to Dr. David Simourd and by Dr. Brian Lovins to Dr. Edward Latessa are in this issue, as the lives of the two men are actually a case in point. They exemplified how the talent, character, and dedication of a single individual can cause a huge impact. We cannot all be like these wonderful men, but we can be inspired to try. As always, I want to thank the authors, editors, and staff who have done the hard work of putting this important issue together. VERONICA CUNNINGHAM, M.S. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO CEO’s message4 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 46, NUMBER 1 The passing of two giants in the field of corrections, Dr. Ed Latessa and Dr. David Simourd, over the past 3 months reminds us that life is short and even the greats are not immortal. Both of them, in their unique styles, helped move corrections from the trail ‘em, nail ‘em, and jail ‘em models to one that is oriented around the risk, need, and responsivity model and behavioral change. Their passing reminds us of just how important the people who do this work are to the effectiveness of community corrections. While many of our agencies have adopted a structured assessment process, built case plans, and introduced core correctional practices to our work, we have been remiss in remembering it is people that deliver the work, that the work does not deliver itself. We have been so worried about fidelity, consistency, and core correctional practices that we forgot that for any intervention to work, we must have healthy staff, building good relationships with the people on supervision. And to have that, we must take care of the people who take care of the people. Let me state that again – We must take care of the people who take care of the people. We cannot do great work, if we are not in good places ourselves. We can’t help people change their lives, if where we work is not a healthy environment. I am afraid that in the name of fidelity, we have actually created a robot-like mentality that strips staff’s skills and personality out of their work and replaced it with scripts and buzz words. As a field, we must reembrace that the people on supervision do not change without staff. Staff are the delivery mechanism of departments to deliver hope and success. As Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, discussed a couple months ago, the only way to help people forward is proximity and hope. I would add that those closest to the persons on supervision must be healthy to deliver hope. This edition of Perspectives discusses how we can take care of the people who take care of the people. Dr. Jennings shares with us a process that organizations can take on that will help assess and develop a comprehensive plan on how to address staff shortages and retain staff successfully. In the face of COVID and the murder of George Floyd, probation and parole departments have seen a decrease in applicants and have had a hard time retaining others. Dr. Jennings provides practical approaches agencies can take to address these two key areas. Next, Dr. Eggers discusses the role of good leadership: to create a working environment and culture that supports retaining staff. He acknowledges in his article the secondary trauma staff face while working in community corrections. He references employee burnout, toxic and abusive leaders, and the job demands/resource theory as he provides a path forward for agencies. Finally, Dr. Eggers discusses the role of the leader and the importance of taking care of the people who take care of the people. And finally, Dr. Winogron and Mr. Gough suggest that changing culture and environment is often difficult and an arduous process and that in the interim we must invest in developing effective coping strategies for staff. Dr. Winogrin’s work has led him to develop The Staff ize that healthy staff are important to the work we do. We must take care of the people who take care of the people. Ten years ago, there were very few people talking about the people who deliver the interventions to individuals on supervision, just the “what they do.” Evidence-based interventions do not deliver themselves. Staff are not robots, reading from scripts, and delivering preset responses. They are human beings who if provided opportunities to grow, develop, and be curious about their work, we are going to have to begin thinking of how we can create spaces in which they do great work. board president’s message BRIAN LOVINS, Ph.D BOARD PRESIDENT5 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION Responsive community corrections officials know that they should focus on ensuring that their agency is incorporating evidence-based practices (EBP). Anyone who is tasked with this work knows that doing so is rigorous, time-consuming, and exhausting. One must carefully introduce the concepts to staff and implement them with fidelity while paying attention to the science that guides successful innovations. It requires an active, engaging leadership style. After all, the practices are often new and may go against the cultural grain. Change does not come automatically, and it most often does not come easily. Whether inside or outside corrections, successful agencies put substantial investment in their most valuable resource: the staff. Becoming an EBP agency and maintaining that status increases the size and significance of the investment; therefore, staff retention efforts become even more integral to an EBP agency’s mission. This issue of Perspectives is dedicated to this topic. Dr. Wesley Jennings, of the University of Mississippi, shares “An Evidence-Based and Enhanced Staffing Analysis Approach for Probation and Parole: Implications for Recruitment and Retention” with the Perspectives audience. In it, he proposes that considering several work dimensions can assist agencies in their mission to recruit and retain staff. We think the that our audience will be intrigued at his look beyond mere caseload/ workload considerations as a means to reduce burnout and increase retention. Similarly, Dr. William Winogron and Curtis Gough provide our readers with a promising option to reduce staff burnout through preventative training in an article titled “Surviving Correctional Work: The Role of Preventative Training.” This innovative approach draws from psychological research on resilience and translates it into a training program designed to assist correctional staff with developing this attribute in the context of their demanding jobs. The role of effective leadership is critical when it comes to staff retention—particularly when leadership is setting the course for the agency’s EBP destination. Dr. Jon Eggers shares his extensive expertise on correctional leadership and its role in staff retention in a piece called “Leading and Retaining Staff in Dangerous Contexts. In this issue, we have also taken a moment to honor two individuals who had tremendous impacts on our field. In January, we lost Drs. Edward Latessa and David Simourd. Dr. Brian Lovins, Ph.D, APPA Board President, shares his memories of Dr. Latessa, and Perspectives co-editor, Jason Stauffer, remembers Dr. Simourd. It is almost certain that our readers have been influenced by their contributions to the corrections field in at least an indirect way. Many will miss them both personally and professionally. Their legacies are strong, and their influence will undoubtedly continue in future generations of corrections practitioners. Finally, we acknowledge two members of our editorial board who contributed significantly to the assembly of this issue: Dr. Shelley Johnson and Kimberly Waldock. Last year, we redesigned our editorial board and processes. Our board members now take a more active role in the process, and this issue marks the first such effort. Thank you, Shelley, and Kim! Stay resilient and stay safe. May your own personal commitment to our important mission help you navigate the difficult times, and may we all receive the type of leadership support that can help us when our own personal commitments may not be enough. editor’s notes JASON STAUFFER ASSESSMENT AND CLASSIFICATION SERVICES SUPERVISOR, TREATMENT SERVICES DIVISION, BUREAU OF REENTRY COORDINATION, PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS KIMBERLY R. KRAS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY6 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 46, NUMBER 1 Perspectives disseminates information to the American Probation and Parole Association’s members on relevant policy and program issues and provides updates on activities of the Association. The membership represents adult and juvenile probation, parole, and community corrections agencies throughout the United States and abroad. Articles submitted for publication are screened by an editorial committee and, on occasion, selected reviewers, to determine acceptability based on relevance to the field of criminal justice, clarity of presentation, or research methodology. Perspectives does not reflect unsupported personal opinions. Articles must be emailed to in accordance with the following deadlines: • Unless previously discussed with the editors, submissions should not exceed 12 typed pages, numbered consecutively, and double-spaced. All charts, graphs, tables, and photographs must be of reproduction quality. Optional titles may be submitted and selected after review with the editors. • All submissions must be in English and in American Psychological Association (APA) Style. • Authors should provide a one-paragraph biography, along with contact information. • Notes should be used only for clarification or substantive comments, and should appear at the end of the text. • References to source documents should appear in the body of the text with the author’s surname and the year of publication in parentheses, e.g., to (Mattson, 2015, p. 73). • Alphabetize each reference at the end of the text using the following format: • Mattson, B. (2015). Technology supports decision making in health and justice. Perspectives, 39(4), 70-79. • Hanser, R. D. (2014). Community corrections (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. While the editors of Perspectives reserve the right to suggest modifications to any contribution, all authors will be responsible for, and given credit for, final versions of articles selected for publication. Submissions will not be returned to contributors. instructions to authors Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Advocate Program, Inc American Correctional Association Chief Probation Officers of CA Confederation of European Probation Correctional Management Institute County Chief Adult Probation and Parole Officers Association of PA Crime Prevention Coalition of America / National Crime Prevention Council Dismas Charities, Inc. Franklin County Municipal Court Hidalgo County CSCD IJIS Institute Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision Lake County Adult Probation Maricopa County Adult Probation Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association MN Association of Community Corrections Act Counties MN Association of County Probation Officers National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies National Association of Probation Executives NC Probation & Parole Association New York State Probation Officers Association New Zealand Association of Probation Officers Paula J. Keating Consulting Pine County Probation Probation and Community Corrections Officers Association Probation Association of New Jersey Probation Officers Association of Wielkopolska Probation Officers Professional Association of IN Saratoga County Probation Department SC Probation and Parole Association Successful Reentry WV Association of Probation Officers affiliate members7 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION feat ures departmentsPRODUCTION STAFF Veronica Cunningham Editor in Chief Kimberly Kras Perspectives Co-Editor Jason Stauffer Perspectives Co-Editor Megan Foster Production Coordinator Mariah Dunn Desktop Publisher APPA DIRECTORY APPA Main (859) 244-8204 Publication Orders (859) 244-8204 General Training Institute (859) 244-8204 Information Clearinghouse (859) 244-8204 Membership (859) 244-8204 Request for Training (859) 244-8206 Resource Expo (859) 244-8206 Advertising (859) 244-8206 Grants/TA (859) 244-8236 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brian Lovins President Susan Rice President-Elect Marcus Hodges Vice President Tom Gregory Treasurer Audrey Rigsbee Secretary Tim Hardy Immediate Past President Scott Taylor Second Past President Isabel Perez-Morina Affiliate Representative Tania Appling Member At-Large Representative Alyza Gonzalez Line Staff Representative Herb Sinkinson Region 1 Representative Corinne Brisco Region 2 Representative Dena Davis Region 3 Representative Gene Cotter Region 4 Representative LaTasha Jones Region 5 Representative Veronica Cunningham Executive Director/CEO Communications should be addressed to: American Probation and Parole Association c/o The Council of State Governments 1776 Avenue of the States, Lexington, KY, 40511 Fax: (859) 244-8001, Website: Perspectives is published four times annually by the American Probation and Parole Association through its secretariat office in Lexington, Kentucky. ISSN 0821-1507 Reprint permission. Direct requests for permission to use material published in Perspectives in writing to © 2022 The Council of State Governments CO-CHAIRS JASON STAUFFER Assessment and Classification Services Supervisor, Treatment Services Division, Bureau of Reentry Coordination Pennsylvania Department of Corrections 1920 Technology Parkway Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 Phone: (717) 361-4300 KIMBERLY R. KRAS, PHD, San Diego State University Department of Criminal Justice School of Public Affairs 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182 Phone: (619) 594-1158 BOARD MEMBERS: Eileen Ahlin, PhD, Penn State Harrisburg Ansley Dille, Utah Administrative Office of the Courts Lauren Duhaime, Bureau of Justice Assistance/George Mason University Phillip Galli, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Lily Gleicher, PhD, Robina Institute/DePaul University Shelley Johnson, PhD, University of North Carolina Charlotte Jennifer Lanterman, PhD, University of Nevada Reno Sarah Manchak, PhD, University of Cincinnati Katie Meyer, CAIS/JAIS Program Manager Carrie Ross, Yavapai County Adult Probation David Sattler, Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts Reveka Shteynberg, PhD, California State University San Bernardino Renea Snyder, Public Health Advisor Mark Stodola, NHTSA Probation Fellow David Taylor, Montgomery County (OH) Probation Reyna Cartagena Vasquez, CSOSA Jill Viglione, PhD, University of Central Florida Melissa Waldock, Kansas Department of Corrections Susan Wright, Pennsylvania Counseling Services editorial board The American Probation and Parole Association is an affiliate of and receives its secretariat services from The Council of State Governments (CSG). CSG, the multibranch association of the states and U.S. territories, works with state leaders across the nation and through its regions to put the best ideas and solutions into practice.9 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION CoreCivic Shannon Carst, Managing Director 5501 Virginia Way, Ste 110, Brentwood, TN 37027 Phone: 303-842-8301 Email: Website: Corrisoft Susan Harrod, VP, Sales & Marketing Corrisoft 1648 McGrathiana Pkwy, Suite 225 Lexington, KY 40511 Phone: (217) 899.5323 Email: Website: Corrections Software Solutions James Redus, President 316 North Lamar Street, Austin, TX 78703 Phone: (512) 347.1366 Fax: (512) 347.1310 Email: Website: Geo Care Monica Hook, Marketing Communications Director 621 NW 53rd Street, Suite 700 Boca Raton, FL 33487 Phone: (800) 241.2911 x 1230 Email: Website: Intoxalock Linda Vadel, Affiliate Marketing Coordinator 11035 Aurora Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50322 Phone: (515) 251.3747 Email: Website: Journal Technologies Heidi Henry Senior Account Executive Micro Distributing Roy G. 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Corporate members receive benefits such as enhanced visibility among APPA’s international network of community corrections professionals, as well as shared information on the latest trends and issues that specifically affect community corrections. CORPORATE MEMBER appa corporate membersNext >