On April 16-19, 2023, the Association of Paroling Authorities International (APAI) convened its 2023 Annual Training Conference, hosted by the Kansas Prisoner Review Board. APAI is the only membership organization dedicated to parole and releasing authorities to enhance public safety. The theme of the conference was “Balancing Hope, Fairness, & Accountability for Stronger Communities.” The conference included releasing authorities from other countries, such as South Africa, Canada, England, and Wales. This conference focused on the challenges and accomplishments of paroling authorities across the United States. Workshops included topics on “Building an Electronic Pardon Process,” “Interstate Compact for Parole Board Members,” and “Understanding Systematic Racism: Keys to More Effective Supervision of Individuals of African Descent.”
Every year at the conference, APAI hosts an award luncheon to recognize practitioners’ work with paroling authorities across the United States. These awards, such as the Dr. Kenneth Walker Community Service Award for outstanding community service by a parole board member and the Ben Baer Award for dedication to truth-in-sentencing practices, are often named after pioneers in parole. Another honor awarded at the conference is the “President’s Award.” This award is given to an individual or organization that has made at least a single significant contribution either to the field of parole or to APAI. This year’s recipient was NIC Community Services Division Chief (A) Robbye Braxton.
Braxton was honored for her work at NIC in advocating for and developing NIC’s Structured Decision Making Framework (SDMF) Model. Over the past 8 years, she has overseen the implementation of the SDMF model for 12 states, small and large. In addition, while at NIC, Braxton developed the nation’s first training program for parole board members, executives, and chairs. Both of these efforts have led to the advancement, professionalism, and use of evidence-based practices of parole boards throughout the country.
