Purpose Driven

Key takeaways:

• Purpose gives community corrections meaning, but principles give it direction. Without structure, good intentions can lead to dysfunction.
• Evidence-based principles are the guardrails that keep teams focused and accountable. They help turn passion into measurable progress.
• Effective programs rely on research-backed frameworks, not instinct. Being principle-centered means leading with both purpose and proven practice.

Identifying your Direction

Trivia Question: What is the brightest star in the northern sky? If you answered the North Star you are in good company. Many people incorrectly believe that The North Star is among the brightest stars because it has served as a celestial landmark for navigational purposes for centuries. Given that it barely breaks into the Top 50 of brightest stars, what explains its fame and function?

The North Star, Polaris, resides very close to the North Pole. The North Pole is the point around which the entire northern sky turns. Since other stars in the northern hemisphere essentially rotate around The North Star, it holds nearly still in the dark heavens. When early travelers needed to be oriented, they would locate The North Star. With that as their steady point, they could identify South, East and West.

The CorrectTech team just returned from the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) summer Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana.  If you have never been to New Orleans, I assure you its passion is unmatched.  Fortunately, there was equal passion in the APPA workshops and exhibit hall.  We left with renewed energy in the importance and purpose of our profession, and empathy for professionals seeking technical assistance with the varied challenges of community corrections.

There is an interesting parallel between walking in the French Quarter and perusing the exhibit hall.  Whether your goal is to find New Orleans' best gumbo or the best software package for your community corrections program, there is no shortage of marketing for your attention.  With so much competition for your business how does a person cut through the sales message to identify what is authentic?

Common Interests

I learned a hard lesson about “community.” I attempted to zone a community corrections facility without building a relationship with the community first. Rookie mistake. The public hearing wasn’t pretty. It is said that when under attack, human nature is to fight, flight or freeze. This community felt attacked and fought. Hard. And won. While I felt pretty battered at the time, it might be the most important lesson I’ve learned as a professional. I realized that until you understand , really understand, what “community” means, you might want to consider a career other than community corrections.