Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Community Corrections

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The Principles of Effective Intervention

This research indicates that certain programs and intervention strategies, when applied to a variety of offender populations, reliably produce sustained reductions in recidivism. This same research literature suggests that few community supervision agencies (probation, parole, residential community corrections) in the U.S. are using these effective interventions and their related concepts/principles

An integrated and strategic model for evidence-based practice is necessary to adequately bridge the gap between current practice and evidence supported practice in community corrections. This model must incorporate both existing research findings and operational methods of implementation. The biggest challenge in adopting better interventions isn’t identifying the interventions with the best evidence, so much as it is changing our existing systems to appropriately support the new innovations. Identify- ing interventions with good research support and realigning the necessary organizational infrastructure are both fundamental to evidence-based practice.