Twenty Days of PO School in Sixty Minutes

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Dionne Addison has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and over twenty-eight years of experience in corrections. She has held various positions at Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and currently is an APA Deputy Superintendent the Quality Assurance/ EBP/ Grant section. Her responsibilities include continuous quality improvement and quality assurance for evidence-based practices, manages Parole Officer school and serves as grant administrator for various BJA grants. Dionne is a certified ORAS Master Trainer, Core Correctional Practice Master Trainer, Thinking for a Change Master Trainer, and a trainer in EPICS, MI , Case Planning, OYAS, Assessment CQI , Decision Points, ART/ACT, Motivation, Structured Skills, Trauma Informed Care, and Carey Guides. She was instrumental in the development and lesson plan for the Ohio Parole Officer Academy, responsible for the implementation of all facets of new officer training.

Samuel Cropp is a Parole Officer in Dayton, Ohio. He is a trainer for the Ohio Parole Officer School. His training certifications include Core Correctional Practices, Thinking for a Change, and Ohio Risk Assessment System. He also trains staff on a case management computer application. His case management experiences include working with juveniles with severe behavioral impairments. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2012 with a Degree in Forensics.

Stephanie Starr is a Deputy Superintendent for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Adult Parole Authority and currently oversees the Quality Assurance Section. She has approximately 30 years of correctional experience with positions that included case management in halfway houses, reentry coordination, parole officer, parole board hearing officer, and quality analyst. Stephanie coordinated the implementation of the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) throughout the state. She has written and managed multiple grants to explore, pilot, and implement various emerging best practices and strategic initiatives. She has trained extensively on evidence-based practices and her trainer certifications include ORAS master trainer, Thinking for a Change, Decision Points, Core Correctional Practices, Anger Control, Case Conference Review, Correctional Program Checklist, CBI-Employment, and Trauma Informed Care. She assisted in designing and co-manages the four-week parole officer school for all newly hired Ohio parole officers. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice and also obtained a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Tiffin University.

Brittany Thomas is a Parole Program Specialist for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) who currently supervise a unit of Parole Officers. She is involved in several committees and work groups within the department but is specifically passionate about her role as co-chair of the Strategic Implementation Team (SIT) and their focus on a statewide initiative to cultivate continuity of community supervision within the division. She was recognized as the Division of Parole and Community Services Employee of the Year for 2023. She began her career in the criminal justice field over 10 years ago and has held positions as a case manager at both a local halfway house and community based correctional facility, a felony probation officer, and Parole Officer with ODRC. Currently, the unit she supervises is responsible for over 400 supervisees’ reentering the community. She has been a Parole School facilitator, since Ohio’s inception of PO School for Officers. She facilitates the Violation Hearing Process section and provides valuable feedback to continue to improve the training for new Officers. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Bachelor of science in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati.