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Topics: Community Corrections, Community Corrections Professional, reentry, work from home, COVID-10, resources, remote working, Coronavirus, probation staff

We have another article from Dr. Alexandra Walker we would like to share!  We absolutely love this article she wrote and know it is helpful information for all you practitioners out there.

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Topics: Community Corrections Professional, program results, EBP, Criminal Justice Reform, innovation, Fidelity, Reforms, Outcomes, Implementation

Dr. Alexandra Walker has over 20 years of experience in the field of criminal justice and reentry. I have had the honor of being trained by and later working with and for Alex while at Time to Change community corrections.  We would like to share this article she wrote during these difficult times and hope you will find it helpful.  

ACJI provided a free training webinar on Friday March 27th on this subject and here is the link - check it out!

 

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WOW… This last week or two has been grueling for everyone. Put aside the fact that we, as humans, don’t like change in general, the COVID-19 pandemic has really taken us out of our comfort zones and placed us squarely in one of the most uncertain times of the last decade or more. After last week’s events, my colleague, Glenn Tapia, and I were able to spend some time together to share our perspectives on the crisis, and how it is impacting the work of community and justice organizations within our system. As a leader in the justice space, Glenn shared a lot of great wisdom with me about what it has been like for him to support his staff through the uncertainty as well as being responsible for some unprecedented and arduous decisions. I shared my perspective on how this crisis has been impacting our clients and the systems we work within and the multitude of emails we have received asking for support and advice. I found our discussion immensely helpful for me. It has impacted my approach to the crisis in a positive way which has had a measurable impact on those around me. I thought I would share some of our thoughts and perspectives about this crisis with you in hopes that it provides some comfort and strategies that will help you moving forward. I hope this is helpful and that you will share your thoughts and perspective with us as well. 

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Topics: Community Corrections Professional, Implementation, Crisis, Appreciative Thinking

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Topics: Assessment, Community Corrections Professional, Addiction, Relapse Prevention, client development, Developing a practice model, coaching community corrections clients, reentry, client needs and values, risk, EBP, Justice-Involved Clients, jic

“I don’t get a candy bar every time I do my job, why should a client get something for doing what they are already supposed to do?”  Have you ever thought or heard something like this when discussing positive reinforcement with clients in community corrections?  When research shows positive reinforcement is more effective in long term behavior change, why is it that we tend to default to punish only?  

In my experience managing clients, managing staff, being a mother, wife, mentor and coach, I can attest that it can be easier to sigh, moan and complain about the performance of others.  Every time I find myself pulling out my hair, I realize I haven’t been using one of my best tools, positive reinforcement.  And guess what, when I start using it (or increase my use of it), I see improvement and I feel happier. It is all too easy to only notice what is going wrong and completely pay no attention to what is going right.

Let me offer some tips for success when implementing a positive reinforcement program in your agency.

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Topics: Community Corrections, Evidence Based Practices, Positive Reinforcement, Community Corrections Professional, client development, reentry, EBP, Justice-Involved Clients