Skilled professionals can reduce recidivism and improve public safety. Comprehensive professional development is essential both for relaying content on new business practices and supporting organizational change.
CJI offers a continuum of trainings to engage and educate corrections professionals and partners. For systems embarking on evidence-based reform, CJI provides an introductory series on effective interventions, organizational change, and collaboration. For those committed to comprehensive skill development, the Effective Practices in Correctional Settings (EPICS) II curriculum prepares frontline staff in effective risk reduction, while the Supervisor’s Leadership Academy cultivates current and future leaders.
CJI is able to tailor training content to the specific needs of the organization. Our trainers also offer coaching and training-of-trainers to increase the capacity of organizations to deliver training themselves. Please contact Meghan Guevara at mguevara[@]crjustice.org to discuss your specific training needs.
Click on Training titles to read a description of each offering:
- Supervisors Leadership Academy: Cultivating an Evidence-Based Organization
The
Supervisors Leadership Academy (SLA) is designed to prepare first line community corrections supervisors for their new role as change leaders. While numerous quality leadership curricula already exist, this program has been developed for the target audience of community corrections supervisors working in an EBP agency. The activities, case studies, role plays, and discussions focus specifically on the challenges faced by first line supervisors in the implementation of the EBP philosophy.
- Integrated Model: Evidence-Based Principles, Organizational Development, & Collaboration
Creating an evidence-based corrections system requires more than just reading the research: individuals change their thinking; organizations change their business practices; and systems change the way they work together. Over the past decade, CJI has been refining an integrated approach to this complex system change. This four-hour training provides an overview of the three elements of the Integrated Model: Evidence-Based Practices (EBP), Organizational Development, and Collaboration and how they can advance system change in community corrections. It is useful for anyone interested in learning more about practical steps for evidence-based system change.
- Effective Practices in Correctional Settings II (EPICS II)
EPICS-II is a set of supervision techniques for corrections professionals to use in their daily interactions with offenders. The techniques and training are based on existing behavioral change strategies found to be effective with offending populations. EPICS-II offers corrections professionals the skills necessary to hold offenders accountable and provide an opportunity to make behavioral changes. The skills focus on assisting offenders in changing his/her thinking and behavior so that he/she is able to avoid, manage, or cope with high risk situations that may lead to criminal behavior. This training typically lasts four days with two in-class days and two days practicing the skills in the field. However, this training can be customized and CJI works with each agency to tailor it to meet individual agencies' specific needs.
→ EPICS II Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)
For additional information, please contact: Kristin Bechtel at kbechtel[@]crjustice.org, Christopher Lowenkamp, or Melanie Lowenkamp at mlowenkamp[@]hotmail.com or by phone at 330.391.0100.
- Evidence-Based Sentencing to Improve Public Safety and Reduce Recidivism: A Model Curriculum for Judges
Trial judges play a central role in improving public safety and reducing recidivism. The curriculum helps judges (1) identify offenders most appropriate for recidivism reduction strategies; (2) target conditions and interventions to offender needs and characteristics; (3) improve responses to violations of community supervision; (4) encourage compliance through interactions with offenders; and (5) work more effectively with criminal justice partners to adopt effective sentencing and corrections practices. This six-hour session was developed by the National Center for State Courts, The National Judicial College, and the Crime and Justice Institute, with support from Pew Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center on the States and the State Justice Institute.
- Project Management
EBP implementation is often a web of simultaneous projects, and managing those projects requires a distinct set of skills. This training is designed to give participants an introduction to the components of project management as well as the opportunity to apply project management skills. Topics covered include the characteristics of an effective manager and an effective team; the process of project management, including developing and tracking work plans and budgets; establishing project goals and deliverables; facilitating a team; and the pros and cons of project management software.
- Evidence-Based Policies and Practices (EBP)
This workshop is designed to provide an introduction to the principles, theory, and concepts supporting EBP. It is not an in-depth skill development training, but rather as a first-time exposure to agencies considering the adoption of this framework. The curriculum allows participants to appraise critical EBP components through skill tryouts and feedback, while also considering their current agency strengths and most challenging EBP target goals.
- Organizational Development
This workshop provides an overview of the principles of organizational development, ranging from change management to aligning budgets with EBP. It focuses on increasing the capacity of an agency or system to implement and sustain change over time through organizational assessment, targeted intervention, and evaluation. It is useful for all employees, though especially for managers and supervisors.
- Collaboration
A systemic approach to public safety promotes efficient use of public resources and integrated efforts to improve public safety. Nurturing an effective collaborative requires skills in relationship building, decision making, and facilitation. This half-day training provides an overview of the essential elements of collaboration and applying them to advance evidence-based practices in community corrections. It is useful for community corrections employees at all levels as well as community partners.
- Quality Assurance & Improvement
Training on evidence-based practices is only the first step; ongoing measurement and coaching encourage ongoing improvement and achievement of desired outcomes. Developing a comprehensive quality assurance plan can be daunting, and CJI can offer a process to guide thoughtful plan development. This two-day workshop discusses the role of quality assurance, the process of developing a quality assurance plan, and techniques for reviewing, discussing, and applying data. Participants have the opportunity to begin developing their own plan. It is useful for managers, supervisors, and others engaged in data-driven decision-making.
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