< PreviousIsabel Perez-Morina, PhD, Advocate Program, Inc., Miami, FL Jamie Newsome, PhD, REFORM Alliance VIRTUAL REPORTING: Reforming Probation for the Modern Age21 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES VIRTUAL REPORTING: REFORMING PROBATION FOR THE MODERN AGE COVID-19 forced community supervision departments across the nation to quickly modify how they did business (Schwalbe & Koetzle, 2021; Viglione et al., 2020). Suddenly, the need for expanded remote reporting practices exploded, especially the use of virtual platforms (e.g., Zoom, Facetime, Teams, and Google Meet). The resiliency of leaders and staff during this challenging time allowed them to adapt quickly, and it was shown that supervising agencies could still uphold court conditions, and provide meaningful opportunities, support, and resources for people on supervision in a semi-virtual or completely virtual environment. As we gradually enter a post-pandemic world, the issue of continued remote reporting as part of the community supervision toolbox looms large, and important policy decisions need to be made. This paper identifies key components to successfully implement ongoing remote reporting policies that will continue to move supervision practices into the modern age. A real-life example from Miami-Dade County will illustrate how the pandemic and resulting legislation led to embracing remote reporting as a tool to enhance and modernize supervision strategies. The paper concludes with implications for other jurisdictions looking to establish effective remote reporting within their agencies. Understanding Remote Reporting and Its Key Components Definitions of remote reporting vary. For the sake of this paper, we define remote reporting as an alternative to having an in-person, face-to-face interaction between an officer and a client on supervision. There are a number of different terms used to describe alternative methods to face-to- face contact which include, but are not limited to, administrative reporting, virtual reporting, mail- in reporting, and virtual engagement. These alternatives to in-person reporting are tools that can be implemented and individualized for the identified risk, needs, and responsivity factors presented by people on supervision and the needs/capabilities of the agency. While the specifics of a remote reporting program may differ based on individual agency, officer, and client needs, four components are critical to success across jurisdictions: Who? Eligibility for Remote Reporting Agencies must consider who will be eligible to participate in remote reporting. Pre-pandemic, many agencies used remote reporting as a mechanism for individuals on unsupervised, administrative, or low-risk supervision. As we think about expanded uses of remote reporting, higher need individuals on supervision can benefit from intermittent virtual supervision strategies, which can supplement and increase treatment dosage. As agencies contemplate what will work best in their jurisdictions, it should be considered that the more individuals who are eligible to participate in remote reporting, the greater the return on safety, time, officer autonomy, and cost. It is important to remember that eligibility for remote reporting can be fluid, with a person qualifying for it and then, if there is a change in his or her risk or needs, shifting back to more in-person contact to ensure adequate support is provided. What and How? Methods of Reporting Remotely A successful remote reporting practice will work to align the methods of remote reporting with the needs of people on supervision and the capacity of the department in ways that benefit both. Expanded remote reporting practices should seek to create a continuum of different methods that may include telephone reporting, written reporting, video reporting, and other strategies. Organizations must determine what types of reporting can be supported by their agencies, which includes training staff, making sure the needed technology/organizational supports are in place. and ensuring the requisite buy-in from leadership and stakeholders. An equally important consideration requires assessing the availability of remote reporting methods for the clients the agency serves. For example, in a rural area with limited internet access, simple telephonic reporting may be preferable to video or even cellular reporting. The continuum of remote reporting options can also specify what segment of the population should be utilizing certain methods of remote reporting based on their unique factors. No matter what methods an Isabel Perez-Morina, PhD, Advocate Program, Inc., Miami, FL Jamie Newsome, PhD, REFORM Alliance 22 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 47, NUMBER 2 TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES agency chooses, utilizing remote reporting practices promotes an inclusive way to adapt to the changing needs of staff and the clients that they supervise. When? Context for Remote Reporting Establishing when and in what ways officers can utilize remote reporting is critical for any department- wide policy to be effective. Leadership must work to establish the parameters of the practice and determine how remote reporting will function within the departments. Ideally, the frequency of remote reporting as a tool should increase over time as officers assess and build effective working relationships with people on their caseloads (Sturm et al., 2021). This may be especially true for people on medium to higher-risk caseloads, who often begin supervision with more frequent reporting requirements that can stifle their success. Pursuing prosocial activities such as work or school, two known need areas to target to reduce recidivism (Bonta & Andrews, 2017), can be difficult to initiate and maintain while also meeting in-person reporting requirements. Remote reporting offers a solution that meets the needs of individuals on supervision, employers or other community stakeholders who may be relying on individuals on supervision to fill various needs, and supervising officers. Remote reporting can be a tool that officers use to reinforce behavioral incentives for individuals working toward developing pro-social skills, values, and beliefs. It puts decision-making power in the hands of officers who know the case best and gives them the autonomy to address the needs of the individual on supervision and support their continued success. Additionally, remote reporting can be a great tool to be responsive and flexible to barriers that arise for people on supervision. For example, recent research suggests that the use of remote reporting provided a way to meet with supervision officers for individuals on probation who would otherwise have difficulty making in-person meetings due to a lack of transportation or childcare needs (Vuolo et al., 2023). How Well? Remote Reporting Program Evaluation and Maintenance When expanding or implementing remote reporting or any new initiative, it is imperative to clearly define what officer behaviors and actions need to occur for it to go as intended. These clear expectations act as the foundation for staff training and ongoing assessment and allow coaches and trainers to measure improvement from officers utilizing the new initiative. Once a program has begun in earnest, the above components determine how to evaluate what is going well and what needs improvement. Qualitative and quantitative data bolster the assessment of how remote reporting impacts the person on supervision, the benefits to the officer, and how it helps meet the agency’s mission. An example of collecting this information could include surveying people on supervision before and after implementing expanded remote reporting to see if people see the supervision office as more or less responsive to their needs. Creating an environment for ongoing feedback and improvement lends itself to increased fidelity, accountability, and development for staff in addition to increasing the opportunity for clients to have a good experience on supervision. Case Study: Florida SB 752 and Miami- Dade Misdemeanor Probation On July 1, 2022, Florida Senate Bill 752 (SB752) went into effect, which codified the use of remote reporting supervision strategies by requiring state and local community supervision departments to develop and implement written remote reporting policies. Prior to SB752, Florida Statute 948.013 defined limited options for alternatives to face-to-face reporting. Statute 948.013 defined administrative probation as “a form of no contact, nonreporting supervision in which an offender who presents a low risk of harm to the community may, upon satisfactory completion of half the term of probation, be transferred by the Department of Corrections to this type of reduced level of supervision” (FL s.948.013., 2018). This definition specifies who is eligible for administrative reporting at the time of sentencing, as indicated by the court in the sentencing order, while also affording the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) the discretion to reduce down to this level of supervision if appropriate based on one’s risk and needs levels and public safety using the XX risk assessment as a guide. In the pre-pandemic years, Florida, like many other states, restricted remote reporting to administrative probation. For example, pre-pandemic, many jurisdictions allowed administrative reporting only for individuals identified as low risk. These administrative 23 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES reporting methods and specifics may have differed across jurisdictions, but the focus was generally on a subset of the supervised population. The pandemic forced organizations to rethink their use of virtual tools and expand the use of technology to supervise a wide variety of caseloads on community supervision rather than just a small, less demanding subset (Viglione et al., 2020). SB752 allows organizations to take what they have learned from shifting practices during the pandemic and standardize them in local policy and procedure. To better understand the impact of SB 752 on remote reporting, we examined virtual reporting through Advocate Program in Miami-Dade. Advocate Program is a private, nonprofit organization that uses a community-based approach to supervision In Miami-Dade, misdemeanor probation is contracted to the Advocate Program and misdemeanor probation officers are private employees of this nonprofit. As such, the probation population described in the case study presented here is primarily limited to people convicted of misdemeanor offenses, although the program also supervises clients convicted of domestic violence incidents and those participating in felony diversion programming. The use of remote reporting by the Advocate Program provides an instructive case study, but it is important to note that this particular program is just one example of how remote reporting can be used as a responsive and innovative tool. Any organization looking to create systemic change must do an evaluation on the who/what/how/when to create a framework that would succeed within their specific jurisdiction. Program Design Advocate Program, like many other community corrections organizations, trained probation officers on how to facilitate reporting through Zoom during the pandemic. As part of the organization’s continuous quality improvement, an analysis was done to determine how Zoom was being used. This utilization review noted that despite the training on reporting through Zoom, some officers continued to direct their clients to the office. Additionally, even for those officers who utilized remote reporting through Zoom, turnover among officers created issues with future virtual appointments that had been previously scheduled. To increase and enhance effective use of remote reporting, Advocate Program created a “virtual office,” open to all justice-involved clients as a standing and systemic measure of reporting within the organization. The “virtual office” was simply a dedicated Zoom room, created through a licensed Zoom account, that replicated the function of the physical office and included a similar flow for clients who were reporting. This room had a waiting area, check-in lobby, and breakout rooms where clients were able to have private, live, face-to-face interactions with a probation officer. To achieve effective, complete, and safe use of the remote reporting option, Advocate Program engaged in a planning and preparation phase focused on answering the essential questions outlined above: who; what/how; and when. Advocate Program dedicated approximately one month to planning. The planning period included (1) identifying a project lead and key personnel for the initiative; (2) identifying who would be eligible for remote reporting; (3) identifying what would be required for the virtual platform, including licensing, costs, and number of accounts needed; (4) identifying when remote reporting would be permissible, including hours of operations and staffing needs for the virtual office; (5) developing client rules for remote reporting; (6) developing procedures to accommodate clients with disabilities; and (7) developing a process to maintain client confidentiality. Advocate Program’s remote reporting team included program supervisors, as well as team members dedicated to social media, website, and information technology. The team obtained a licensed Zoom account and created the virtual waiting room, client check-in procedures, and data collection methods. Finally, Advocate Program designated one specific day per week to implement virtual reporting. After the planning phase concluded, Advocate Program advanced a soft release to test the platform and update procedures. The testing phase consisted of approximately two full-day testing sessions over the course of one month to identify and address issues and challenges prior to the full release of the virtual reporting platform. The soft release consisted of a small number of selected clients scheduling and participating in Zoom reporting sessions. Staff involved in the planning sessions facilitated the virtual office to get first-hand information on potential gaps and barriers. The main takeaway from this phase was identifying the number of staff that would be needed to operate the virtual office. This included 24 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 47, NUMBER 2 virtual “front desk” staff that would be responsible for client check-in and assigning clients to breakout sessions with their probation officer or the officer on duty. Finally, during this phase, Advocate Program planned for dissemination of information to clients for proper access to virtual reporting and updates to the agency’s website to reflect the remote reporting policies and practices. After the initial testing sessions, the program finalized the procedure for reporting and created a dedicated webpage to facilitate client entry to the virtual office. Crucially and distinctively, all clients were deemed eligible to participate, but some clients were required to report in person in addition to the reporting remotely. For example, some clients needed to come on site to submit to a urinalysis and others were required to report more than once a week, a requirement which couldn’t be accommodated by Advocate Program’s single weekly virtual office day. During the launch of the virtual office day program, in-person offices remained open, and no disruption to the physical office schedule occurred. The organization’s website has a dedicated page where information on the virtual office can be found, and the meeting link can be accessed. This page contains the general rules clients must follow, virtual reporting hours of operation, and the designated meeting/Zoom link. Existing clients were provided with this information by their probation officers. Given the challenges with coordinating staff for court appointment and physical office rotations, a rotation schedule was developed. In general, clients reported to the probation officer working in the virtual office. However, in cases where there was a need for the client to see their dedicated officer, that client could be placed in another breakout room and that officer could be messaged instantly to join and complete the report. This is similar to how this agency handled in-office reporting. Importantly, to answer the final question of how well the remote reporting processes were working, Advocate Program created a process to ensure continuous communication between program staff and clients. The program actively sought out client and employee testimonials to review the impact of the virtual reporting office. Methods for Data Collection As part of the procedure for virtual reporting, the following client data is captured: • Client name and case number • Client call back information and email • Type of program • Time of check-in • Reporting officer To obtain client testimonials, an open call was sent by email in English and Spanish to all probation clients who had participated in the initial remote reporting implementation phase. This was an open-ended email that invited clients to submit a description of their experience, of which five respondents submitted feedback commentary.1 As part of the testimonials, staff were also invited to provide an open-ended testimonial on their experiences with the new virtual reporting process. This was not an anonymous survey, but rather a method to get feedback from staff as part of the initial development of the project. Plans to create a continuous, automated, and uniform method of client feedback are still in the works. Results The virtual reporting office has been open one day a week since September 2022. On average, the program facilitates between 50-60 reports each day. For comparison, across the two physical offices, Advocate Program typically has between 20-40 reports during a normal business day. As noted above, feedback was solicited from both clients and employees. The following are excerpts from testimonials received: Client Testimonials There were no negative testimonials received, and notably, the responses were not anonymous. A few of the responding clients did, however, offer constructive recommendations for improving the use of virtual reporting. The following is a sample of testimonials received: 1. “The virtual report greatly benefited me. Thank you, I was able to clear up several issues surrounding my case and the individuals that served me were very kind. Thank you very much.” 2. “This is my first encounter with the system and I believe it is absolutely fantastic. The communication and connection were flawless. Did it from my mobile phone. Can’t imagine a better way.”25 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES 3. “I feel the program has many benefits versus having to report in person. In this day and age, it is probably even safer to check in through the format you guys have created. My only issue is I would like to get notified with more anticipation to be able to schedule accordingly.” 4. “I believe this is a great way to be able to report and have a flexible balance between work, family and getting my life back on track. I believe the way it is being done right now, meets the criteria. The only thing is adding a text for reminders besides email so people don’t miss their session due to their busy life. Thanks for letting me leave constructive feedback.” 5. “Much, much better. Saved me an Uber roundtrip of one hour each way and $125.” Employee Testimonials 1. “I love being able to offer this option to clients. We have made it so simple for clients to be able to connect virtually with their case manager, even people like me who struggle with technology are able to navigate the virtual report. Personally, technology doesn’t come easy for me and I was apprehensive about learning something else. But from the staff side, this has been easy. We no longer are hearing excuses like I couldn’t get a ride or public transportation is too much etc.” 2. “I believe the reports are going very well. It’s not only beneficial to the clients, but to us as well. The only issues I see are on the client’s end, not ours which we can’t control. Such as their video, audio, and driving at times. No complaints!” The client and employee testimonials reveal common themes relating to the benefits to agency-wide virtual reporting, including: • Increased access to case information: Often clients have difficulty reaching officers by phone and getting the needed information via email. A consistent virtual lobby allows the client to log on and have a one-on- one conversation with an officer. Simple questions that take 10-15 minutes to settle are resolved without forcing the client to miss work or travel. • Ease of use: Clients can access the virtual office through any device, including their phone. Clients do not have to be experts in technology. Additionally, clients who call the office by phone can be transferred into the virtual lobby and meet with an officer by phone. • Balancing demands: As a field, we want individuals under supervision to be employed and engage in prosocial activities. Stable employment and healthy family relationships can improve outcomes and reduce criminogenic risks. Most probation offices are not open evening and weekends, forcing clients to miss work, arrange for childcare, etc. A virtual office reduces these barriers and does not disrupt the client’s commitments in other equally important areas. It can also communicate that the field is responsive to their needs and invested in their success. • Saving time and money: Individuals on supervision often have high financial demands to succeed. As a private agency with no public funding, Advocate Program is sustained on the cost of supervision. While much controversy exists around this topic, finding ways to reduce the financial impact on probationers is a priority for all. In addition to reducing the impact on employment, a virtual lobby can eliminate or reduce the cost of transportation and gas, which can be significant. This allows probationers to use their time and money on other necessary areas and interventions that can make a positive impact in their life, such as treatment. • Benefits to Employees: Having an agency virtual reporting process that does not burden the individual probation officer can be a benefit. Some officers may be savvy and able to schedule appointments and send calendar reminders to their clients. Others may not have the capacity and feel overburdened. Creating an agency virtual space can be an additional tool and can provide a solution independent on officer ability and preference. Additionally, officers are always looking for ways to help. The feedback they receive from clients can be very rewarding. Discussion Remote/virtual reporting helps advance supervision into the modern age, optimizing use of available technologies and offering a myriad of benefits for people on supervision, officers, and community supervision agencies. Most importantly, emerging research suggests it offers a means of promoting responsivity by removing many barriers to success (Vuolo et al., 2023). Community supervision offices should be a place where people can feel safe when they visit, learn, and are supported and encouraged to reach their desired goals. Being responsive to the needs of people on supervision helps officers build an effective working relationship without compromising 26 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 47, NUMBER 2 TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES the prosocial aspects of the clients’ lives that may aid in desistance, such as meeting family obligations or fully engaging in the workforce. Another benefit is that several methods of remote reporting are adaptive and can ensure accommodation to clients with disabilities. Moreover, the reporting requirements of high-need individuals can be easily addressed, as virtual reporting can be used intermittently. For officers, remote reporting allows for more flexibility and intentionality with their time, so they can focus on clients with higher risk and need levels. Community supervision agencies as a whole benefit from implementing systemic forms of remote reporting because it lowers agency costs, increases safety for staff, increases flexibility of staff’s time and increases positive impact. Notably, for smaller probation offices or those serving rural areas, systemic forms of remote reporting can increase the likelihood of success and improve client attitudes towards supervision by recognizing barriers that may be beyond the client’s control and offering sensible solutions. While more studies need to be done, preliminary findings suggest that increasing access and participation in remote reporting could yield better results and outcomes for clients, staff, and organizations. Remote reporting should not be limited to a subset of people on supervision but should instead be seen as a supervision tool that can be used to incentivize/reinforce behavior, address unforeseen circumstances such as an illness, or provide flexibility when resources prove limited. Challenges and Lessons Learned As mentioned by an employee testimonial, all virtual services are subject to the client’s connection, attention, and behavior. Much like organizations review their office safety practices and rules, time should be spent considering how to deal with potentially unsafe or disruptive behavior. How to handle clients who are driving or others who may appear impaired must be considered. Additionally, ensuring the platform has a closed-caption option for the hearing impaired and breakout sessions where clients can have private conversations with their supervising officers are also critical. Common technological issues can also create challenges. This includes loss of power, poor connection, or clients who may not connect to audio. While these challenges are real, it is clear that most criminal justice systems are increasing their use of technology. In many jurisdictions, hearings are done via Zoom. Therefore, these challenges are likely ones that will remain and plans should be developed to mitigate the potential issues that arise. For example, the organization has implemented redundant systems so that if one internet provider loses connection, another system turns on to avoid loss of connection. As a response to client-related issues, working tutorials into client intakes and the orientation process can help prevent difficulties. Often staff do a practice session with clients so that they can become comfortable with the platform if virtual reporting is a method they would like to use. Another challenge is managing a hybrid environment where clients can report in person or virtually. Essentially, this process creates another office that has to be staffed and resourced. While staff have not demonstrated resistance, a recent analysis shows that both office foot traffic and virtual reporting participation have increased. Agencies are encouraged to set up processes for continuous quality improvement that evaluate staff time, morale, and resources. Ensuring proper resource management is essential. Should the need to expand the hours of the virtual office increase, changes to the in- person office schedule may be considered. Finally, planning should include preparations to handle situations where there is a loss of connection or an emergency. When incidents occur in the office, or when clients present in crisis, most agencies have response protocols in place. When clients report virtually, similar incidents can take place. Clients may be in crisis, be victims of an assault, or be observed engaging in criminal behavior. Protocols to respond to these critical incidents that arise during virtual contacts should be developed, and staff training on such protocols should be conducted prior to implementing virtual reporting. Examples of strategies include obtaining the client’s exact location, call back information, and emergency contact at the time of check in during the virtual report. Considerations and Limitations Agencies should consider their client population and create responsive policies based on the clientele served and other program requirements and regulations. As indicated above, the Advocate Program is a private nonprofit that supervises misdemeanor probationers and clients on diversion. For such individuals there are no requirements for home or field visits. As a result of the client population, the virtual reporting platform is open to all clients. Nonetheless, even in this group some clients are required to report in person in lieu of or in addition to a virtual report. Agencies who supervise a higher risk 27 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES population may have other considerations in designing their remote reporting policies. It should also be noted that research does not yet exist indicating whether virtual reporting as a practice improves client success and/or outcomes. What research is available, however, does point to some evidence that virtual reporting is a valuable tool that can increase opportunities for meaningful contact between supervising officers and individuals on community supervision with benefits beyond minimizing the spread of COVID-19 (Powell et al., 2022; Schwalbe & Koetzle, 2021; Sturm et al., 2021; Viglione et al., 2020. Conclusion Overall, the practice of establishing a virtual office has several benefits and merits consideration. Despite the short time that the Advocate Program’s virtual office has been utilized, considerable positive feedback has been received from both clients and staff. The field of community corrections has an opportunity to capitalize on what was learned during the pandemic and integrate these new tools into their system practices. This will allow the field to be responsive to its clients and improve overall success. References Bonta, J. & Andrews, D. A. (2017). The psychology of criminal conduct, 6th Edition. New York, NY: Routledge. Horowitz, J. (2020). Policy Reforms Can Strengthen Community Supervision: A framework to improve probation and parole. The Pew Charitable Trusts. https://www. pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/04/policyreform_ communitysupervision_report_final.pdf Powell, K., Hyatt, J. M., & Link, N. W. (2022). Implementing reforms in community corrections: lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crime & Delinquency, 68, 1223- 1246. Schwalbe, C. S. J., & Koetzle, D. (2021). What the COVID-19 pandemic teaches about the essential practices of community corrections and supervision. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 48, 1300-1316. Sturm, A., Robbers, S., Henskens, R., & de Vogel, V. (2021). ‘Yes, I can hear you now…’ Online working with probationers in the Netherlands: New opportunities for the working alliance. Probation Journal, 68, 411-425. Viglione, J., Alward, L. M., Lockwood, A., & Bryson, S. (2020). Adaptations to COVID-19 in community corrections agencies across the United States. Victims & Offenders, 15, 1277-1297. Vuolo, M., Schneider, L. E., & LaPlant, E. G. (2023). Surveillance and the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic for formerly incarcerated individuals. Punishment & Society, 25, 386-406.28 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 47, NUMBER 2 SIMULATIONS FOR COMMUNITY SUPERVISION : From Virtual Reality to Serious Games Charise Hastings29 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES For decades simulations have served as effective tools for education and training. Simulations provide safe, controlled environments for learning skills that would otherwise be difficult to acquire or practice. They have been used in fields as diverse as aviation, medicine, psychology, construction, and the military. Despite its long history in other areas, the use of simulations in criminal justice has developed only recently. In 2012 the Supreme Court ruled that life sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional, and in 2016 that ruling was made retroactive. Correctional agencies were suddenly faced with a major challenge: to prepare people, many of whom were never expected to be released, to reenter a world vastly changed from the one they had left 20-30 years ago. Several agencies turned to virtual reality simulations to meet this challenge (Cuervo, 2022). Since then, correctional agencies have further explored how simulations can help with reentry, vocational training, and treatment programs, with pilot programs occurring in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Michigan (Russo, 2021). Although research on best practices is still growing, studies show that virtual reality can be particularly effective at treating a variety of psychological disorders and reducing recidivism through cognitive behavioral therapy (Ticknor, 2019). What Exactly Are Simulations and Virtual Reality? The broadest definition of a simulation is a two- or three- dimensional environment with interactive elements that emulates and, to some degree, replaces a physical environment. The power of a simulation lies in its ability to make people feel “present” in the virtual world and thus respond to the virtual stimuli as though they are real. Virtual reality is a subcategory of simulations. It refers to a computer-generated environment and often uses specialized hardware to make individuals feel more immersed in their environment. In this context, hardware often refers to headgear and hand controllers, but it may also refer to laptops, tablets, smartphones, or fully enclosed spaces. Different kinds of computer-based simulations are defined by their hardware and software. The hardware determines the degree to which the physical world is excluded from a participant’s senses so that the virtual world is more fully experienced. This phenomenon is called immersion and can range from non-immersive to semi-immersive to fully immersive, as Figure 1 shows. The software determines the amount and kind of interactivity between the computer and the participant. With minimal interactivity, a person may only have the ability to look around the virtual environment by clicking keyboard arrows or turning their head while wearing a headset. In scenarios with greater interactivity, the participant can activate objects and initiate actions, such as constructing machinery or completing specific tasks to progress through levels. When biofeedback devices are introduced to measure a person’s heart rate and other physiological responses, there can be even greater levels of interaction. Figure 2 depicts this continuum. Some software programs add game-like features to increase a person’s motivation and interest in a simulation. Such features include following a storyline, completing quests or tasks, winning achievements, and progressing through increasing levels of difficulty. A simulation with gamified features whose primary purpose is to educate is called a serious game. An example of a serious game is Project: EVO by Akili Interactive (Figure 3). This game is designed to help SIMULATIONS FOR COMMUNITY SUPERVISION: FROM VIRTUAL REALITY TO SERIOUS GAMES Charise Hastings Figure 2Next >