Our reflections of APPA 2017 from the inside, outside and beyond.

Last month we found ourselves positioned in a good space as we went about setting up our booth at APPA’s 42nd Annual Training Institute, held this year in a particularly exciting place, New York City. We were positioned on the Expo floor at a busy nexus of booths and buffet tables, and our team reconnected with and met practitioners from all over the country. Each brought their knowledge, progressive nature and passion for EBP. We attended several interesting sessions as well, which highlighted important challenges facing the corrections industry.

The Big Apple proved the perfect backdrop for APPA, and we explored some of the city’s unique places. Following are a few highlights from inside the conference, activities outside it, and challenges going forward.

Criminal Justice Reform is on the Move and 9 other things I learned at the Oregon Justice Reinvestment Summit:

one: Although the event was in Oregon, speakers from around the country made it clear that criminal justice reform is on the rise nationwide.

two: Pretrial research has uncovered that being locked up for three or more days while awaiting a hearing can cause very serious unintended repercussions for that individual, including a 4% increased risk that the person will recidivate.

three: Oregon was recently selected as one of three states to participate in the National Criminal Justice Reform Project with a focus on pretrial and a mission to reform using data driven, evidence based practices.

four: As shared in the Justice Policy Institute Report, “The vaguely understood pretrial process of bail costs the taxpayers of the United States billions of dollars and infringes on the liberty and rights of millions of Americans each year.”

Getting to the Point

The top of a pyramid is what makes it identifiable as a pyramid. This apex is known as the capstone. On ancient pyramids, capstones were given special care and sometimes made of gold. Kings had their names etched in them. Pyramids are architectural marvels. While many mysteries and legends abound, experts agree that the building of the pyramids took hundreds of workers hundreds of years to complete.

While pyramids served many purposes (some were quite elaborate on the inside with bakeries, tombs and hallways aplenty) the outward symbol of success was to get to the point, the capstone. Once the builders completed the point of the pyramid, it was complete. Any shortcuts would certainly be noticed and mar the elegance of these ancient structures. If the work crews had rushed to get to the point, it is unlikely that these landmarks would still be standing. 

After more than 25 years in corrections leading teams through change, I can tell you – I’m sick and tired of struggling with it! And I know I’m not alone. I consult with agencies every day that are struggling through organizational change.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

There are two strategies that when used properly help us get out ahead of change and influence it in a way that makes leading through change much easier - even as much as 10 times easier!

“How?!” You say.

“Lay it on me!”