Policy Matters
The often quoted Yogi Berra stated, “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” (To be fair, a multitude of quotes have been attributed to Berra, leading him to exclaim, “I didn’t really say everything I said.”) This observation is particularly appropriate for the community corrections professionals amidst this wave of change. The fact is that we know more about principles than about specific practices. In our third blog about the 5 Ps Pyramid, I discuss Policy, the process that begins to define practices. After all, we talk often about implementing principles, but you do not actually implement concepts, you implement practices. Identifying and articulating practices begins with policies.
Structure Matters
If Purpose is the “Book of Why” and Principles are the “Book of What,” Policy is the “Book of How.” How do you go about providing offenders with fair opportunities, consistent feedback, accountability, and patience? Most reentry professionals would not dream of creating an offender treatment program without a well-documented set of client rules and expectations. Offenders need clearly written boundaries and expectations. Offenders need structure like they need oxygen. However, that need for structure and clear expectations is not an offender thing; it is a person thing. In other words, your employees need a written rule book just as much as your clients; not a book of “what not to do” as much as “how to” do it.
The Rules of Engagement
While oral history and storytelling are informative and entertaining, thay lack detail and specificity. (In other words, they make for better Purpose and Principles than Policy). What would happen if your office manager and most tenured employee suddenly left the organization? If, like many small agencies, your training is primarily communicated verbally and on the run, the loss of a couple key employees would be devastating. In order to maintain a stable, trustworthy agency, policies must be well defined and written.
We owe it to our employees, and to the clients they supervise, to document how to deploy the therapeutic ideals of assessment, positive reinforcement, and community engagement. While it is preferable that staff understand the reasons behind the policies, knowing the governing rules of their behavior is not optional. Many community corrections agencies have survived on undying passion, remarkable work ethic, and on the job training. A solid policy manual will not replace any of these assets, but it will improve your operations dramatically and greatly assist your primary asset, your employee.
Dynamic Documentation
As is true with the Risk Principle, your policy manual will include static elements and dynamic elements. It is a living document. While the basics and some sections may remain stable and steady over many years, policies evolve. The community corrections industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. In fact, your policies have too. Has your policy manual reflected those changes? You are in good company if the answer is “no,” but you cannot run a good company until that happens. Get help. Get busy. Get better.
Read more in the series of The 5Ps of Community Corrections
- Community Corrections: Leading with Purpose
- Principle Centered Community Corrections
- Turning Evidence Based Principles (EBP) into Policies
- The 5Ps of Community Corrections: Procedures
- The 5Ps of Community Corrections: Practices
