EBP Box Set

Guidance is provided to criminal defense attorneys concerning the use of evidence-based practices (EBP). Sections of this report include: executive summary; introduction; principles of EBP; the role of defense counsel as advocate in an EBP criminal justice system; the role of defense counsel as policy-maker; and conclusion.

"This document will review the role of jails and incarceration within United States' correctional systems and propose opportunities for jail officials to interact and collaborate with local criminal justice entities with the shared purpose of enhancing long-term public safety" (p. ix). Sections following an abstract include: practice within corrections -- does it work as a system; corrections within the U.S. -- the current context; evidence-based practice -- the effectiveness of criminal sanctions; communicating within a social learning environment; offender classification -- to jail or not to jail; the work of jails -- high-risk offenders and their effect on public safety; organizational/system change -- the role of correctional leadership; high-risk offenders in jail transition programs; and conclusion/summary. Appendixes include: "An Example of a Successful Jail Transition Program: The Dutchess County Jail Transition Program [DCJTP]"; DCJTP 5-Week Plan -- Checklist; and DCJTP Plan for Transition form.

The reduction of recidivism by state judiciaries utilizing six principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) is explained. Seven sections follow an executive summary: introduction; current state sentencing policies and their consequences; drug courts -- the state judiciary's successful experiment with EBP; the principles of EBP; local sentencing and corrections policy reforms; state sentencing and corrections policy reforms; and conclusion. "[C]arefully targeted rehabilitation and treatment programs can reduce offender recidivism by conservative estimates of 10-20%" (p. 72).

"[C]ritical legal principles applicable to defendants during the pretrial stage" are covered (p.3). Sections of this paper are: introduction and background; pretrial legal foundation -- presumption of innocence, right to counsel, right against self-incrimination, right to due process of law, right to equal protection under the law, right to bail that is not excessive, and summary of legal principles; evidence-based practices in pretrial services and community corrections; and summary and conclusions.

"The purpose of this paper is to introduce prison administrators and staff to an accumulated body of knowledge regarding correctional practice to enhance their management of their prisons" (p.1). Sections comprising this discussion paper are: introduction -- transition from prison to the community, effective correctional practice, overview of prison research findings for prison classification, and summary; an overview of prison classification and risk assessment - correctional programming, guidelines, staff, and impact; and prison realities -- organizational culture and priorities, staff recruitment and training, role of staff, additional considerations (such as gangs, drugs, threats, and extortion), excellence in prison practice, implications for correctional practice, anticipated goals and outcomes, integration with community corrections, and corporate accountability. Provided as appendixes are "Eight Evidence-Based Principles for Effective Practice: Linking to Prison-Based Corrections" and "Measuring Inmate Competencies."

This paper “focus[es] primarily on those [evidence-based] intervention principles most likely to be encountered by the prosecution” (p.2). Sections following an executive summary are: introduction; prosecutorial duty; innovative research; evidence-based principles in prosecutorial practice and leadership; the need for systemic change; and conclusion.

This monograph is “intended to strengthen and improve the dissemination of evidence-based rehabilitative technologies for offenders, within the multidisciplinary context of correctional treatment” (p.x). Sections of this document include: executive summary; introduction - effective clinical practices and the critical need for collaboration; what evidence-based practice (EBP) is; overarching principles of effective correctional treatment; common therapeutic factors - what works in treatment generally; specific evidence-based modalities for criminal justice clients; and conclusion-what have we lost. There are four appendixes: confidentiality in correctional treatment; the separate and complementary functions of corrections and treatment; coerced treatment; and quality assurance.

A “guide for [community corrections] agencies to transform themselves into evidence-based organizations” is provided (p.xv). Six chapters follow an executive summary: what evidence-based practice is; the integrated model; the principles of effective intervention; implementing evidence-based principles; leading organizational change and development; and collaboration for systemic change. The appendixes include: research support gradient; the search conference; and key concepts in organizational development.