The National Institute of Corrections (NIC), in collaboration with the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI), is pleased to announce the launch of Facilitating Behavior Change training. This immersive and interactive training will provide community supervision agencies across the nation with a no-cost training for line staff officers in core correctional practices. Facilitating Behavior Change training helps community supervision organizations provide staff with the fundamentals of “What Works” in probation and parole. The training is particularly focused on helping corrections professionals promote prosocial behavior change in persons on supervision. When used with fidelity, the topics covered in this training can make supervision sessions more meaningful, promote sustainability in prosocial behaviors, and reduce risk and recidivism — the ultimate safety goal of any community supervision agency.

Course topics include core correctional practices (CCP), structured skill building, coaching, and feedback. Learning objectives include understanding how the Principles of Effective Intervention (risk, need, responsivity, and fidelity) connect to CCP; identifying when to use CCP skills and how to use them with persons on supervision; using cognitive restructuring tools; problem-solving, coaching, and providing feedback. This blended training consist of 6 hours of virtual instructor-led training and 24 hours of in-person, instructor-led training. Having both online and in-person sessions maximizes efficiency while still providing the value of traditional classroom learning. Participants will take a pre- and post-assessment to demonstrate acquisition of new skills, and upon completion of the course, they will receive a training certificate from NIC.

Apply for the Facilitating Behavior Change training

The deadline for accepting applications will end February 9, 2023.

Send questions about the Facilitating Behavior Change training or the application process to Katie Green, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of Corrections, via email at k2green@bop.gov

Correctional senior level leaders face significant challenges regarding gender-informed facility operations, policy and procedure, and the development and implementation of evidence-based program and service needs of women. In the last ten years, the body of knowledge has also grown related to the profile of who the women are and what management strategies may need to be considered in an agency’s response to managing women offenders.

The 32-36 hour training is designed to assist senior managers and administrators of women's facilities in the operational management and correctional policy and practices that are impacted by gender differences. Participants will engage in learning activities that clarify gender differences while avoiding an over-identification of issues that may be common to male and female populations.

Operational concerns presented include: characteristics of women offenders, gender differences, institutional culture, staff training needs, inmates-staff conduct, cross-gender supervision, legal issues, and policy development: i.e. property, sick call, searches, visitation and classification.

NIC will select correctional state agencies to provide this program on site within their state with up to 30 participants

Interested agencies should contact Evelyn Bush, Corrections Program Specialist at e1bush@bop.gov

We know more today about pretrial risk than at any other time in the history of bail reform and have the data to support new paradigms for managing individuals on pretrial release. That data show that most individuals on pretrial release are successful, meaning they appear for court as required (or miss court appearances unintentionally), have no new arrests, and receive no new case filings. However, conditions of pretrial release often are tied to an arrest charge or financial considerations and do not address the specific risk factors that individuals present. The pretrial field should consider a new paradigm for pretrial supervision — as well as how best to integrate services, support, and a redefinition of “pretrial risk”. This is all according to a series of three new pretrial publications from the National Institute of Corrections, developed through a cooperative agreement with the Justice Management Institute.

Promoting Pretrial Success: A New Model for Pretrial Supervision introduces a “success-based” pretrial supervision model, where conditions are ordered with the intent to promote an individual’s court appearance and the public’s safety. The publication acknowledges that most individuals on pretrial release require only minimal supervision. These individuals may be better served by receiving conditions consistent with their individual risk factors rather than conditions that are applied regardless of risk level or individual factors.

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Incorporating Services and Support into Pretrial Supervision: Is There a Best Model? suggests that pretrial services agencies provide voluntary support services, intervention and treatment to pretrial-involved individuals who cope with substance abuse disorder. The publication also discusses when agencies might consider interventions, when those interventions should be part of a plan of supervision, and which interventions might be best at the pretrial stage.

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Court Nonappearance and New Case Filings: Redefining Pretrial Misconduct proposes new, more accurate definitions for missed court appearances and new filed criminal charges. The publication examines how we understand risk and offers options for reducing the overestimation of that risk, reducing the likelihood of issuing overly punitive responses to low-risk individuals. The publication concludes with a summary of responses that jurisdictions throughout the country are taking now to correct the problem.

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