This is the 1st of a 12 part series on Evidence Based Principles. Subscribe to our blog and get the blog delivered right to your inbox. 

Defining EBP

Evidence: that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief, proof.   

In other words, it is no longer acceptable to just “wing it” and base offender interventions on “my personal experience” or “what seems to make the most sense.” Fortunately, there is a growing group of EBP experts who publish findings and explanations on a regular basis. The amount of proof is growing!

Based: a fundamental principle or groundwork; foundation; basis.

When proven interventions (i.e., evidence) are part of the foundation of a treatment program, it's impossible to identify where treatment begins and where it ends. Treatment is not an event or even a series of events. Treatment is fundamental. Every activity, every decision and every moment are part of the treatment process.

Principle: a basis of conduct or management.

Large segments of community corrections have long endorsed the ideas of EBP. It all makes sense, and as it gains political momentum, it is making more and more sense. Learning the language of EBP is important, unfortunately, that is where many agencies stop. They have maintained their current practices but now use EBP language to refer to various components. t does not work that way! Ultimately, EBP is not just about believing, using lingo, or preaching. The idea is one of a guiding principle of conduct, not belief.

World Class Execution

As I write this blog, I am watching the Denver Broncos vs. the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. It could be a record setting game for Peyton Manning. If he throws at least three touchdown passes, he will set a new NFL record for most touchdowns passes in a career. Brett Favre currently holds the record with 508 TD passes.

Watching a team execute a game plan is fascinating. While the players have to practice (i.e., perform) what they are instructed, hundreds of hours of preparation go into the game plan. It is not unusual for an NFL coach to sleep in the office during the football season. They work extraordinary hours reviewing film, creating plays, and developing an overall strategy. With unmatched intensity, passion, and attention to details, coaches control everything except the actual execution of the game plan.

One Thing Leads to Another

Let’s review a bit. Your Purpose leads to the Principles of emphasis. The Principles give birth to the Policies. Procedures are not developed or created as much as revealed. 

Turn-by-Turn Directions

Bud’s Bar in Sedalia, Colorado is unpretentious and a favorite of locals. They serve mouth-watering cheeseburgers. To enjoy one of these juicy, handmade patties (or two), hurry on over to 5453 Manhart St. Sedalia, CO 80135.

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.

 Purpose Driven

Rick Warren’s Christian devotional book, The Purpose Driven Life (2002), has sold over 30 million copies. That is five million more copies than The Great Gatsby (1925) sold. It topped the New York Times bestseller list for an historical length of time. It is the second most translated book in the world, after The Holy Bible. The wild success of this book demonstrates the conclusion from our last post: People crave purpose. Fortunately, community corrections provides purpose aplenty; providing second chances, protecting potential victims, returning parents to their children, allowing offenders to take some financial responsibility for their rehabilitation. 

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” is a frequent paraphrase of statement written by Saint Bernard of Clairvaus around 1150. While the phrase is taken to mean different things to different people, I find its meaning on consistent display in the human service field, including modern day community corrections. It is often the most passionate among us, the ones who want to save the world and believe they can, that create critically dysfunctional human service agencies. While human service agencies do not have a monopoly on dysfunction, they are uniquely prone to it. With passion and purpose to burn, they take off running. Without the structure and guidance of steady principles they often get lost.