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Abstract: 

In the first article in this issue, Tom Williams, associate director for Community Supervision Services for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) in Washington, DC, discusses the changes in approach that have necessitated his agency’s adoption of the principles and practices of evidence-based strategies for offender supervision. In his review of the changes in sentencing since 1975, he notes the punitive turn in the United States and then traces the counter to this turn in the promising practices suggested in the “what works” literature deriving from the “nothing works” debates on recidivism and the work of the Washington Institute for Public Policy and the ICCA annual research conferences. [2]Managing Diverse Offender Populations Effectively by Denise Robinson, president and CEO of Alvis House Inc. and Dr. Randy Shively, vice president of clinical services at Alvis House, contribute the second article in this issue. Their discussion, first presented at the October 2006 International Corrections and Prison Association meetings in Vancouver, BC, looks at the issues facing residential settings in managing a more diverse offender population. The authors present a very practical plan for countering the punitive turn in corrections and seek, through programs, to rebuild individuals and their families. Based on best practices and embedded in the theory informing “what works” programming, they argue that a well-articulated treatment program becomes the glue that holds programs together. This approach is used both for the development of staff training events and for client programs. In this article, the authors cover the critical principles for working with diverse populations, the keys to successful programs, and the specific programs at Alvis House that adhere to the principles they have identified. Readers looking for practical advice and suggestions on managing the increasing numbers of special needs offenders will find much of use in this article. [3]Addressing Offenders’ Employment Needs Effectively by Diane Williams and Jodina Hicks of the Safer Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, contributed an article also originally presented at the October 2006 International Corrections and Prison Association meetings held in Vancouver BC. In their article, they outline the role of the Safer Foundation in the provision of services to pre-release as well as post-release offenders. They outline the poor life chances of most released offenders and offer programs that have increased the likelihood that offenders completing the programs will have a lower recidivism rate than offenders released from prison without any assistance. This is a very practical article that is full of good ideas and directions for those working with pre-release or post-release offender populations. From the extensive experience of the Safer Foundation are distilled principles of effectiveness in preparing offenders for employment, improving employment opportunities, and increasing the likelihood that offenders will sustain employment upon completion of the programs. [4]Orienting Offenders to Community Supervision. In an effort to be effective, efficient, and economical in the delivery of services to offenders, many agencies have embraced the idea of developing partnerships with other social service and criminal justice agencies. Leonard A. Sipes, Jr., with the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency based in Washington, DC, describes in his contribution to this issue an orientation program for paroled offenders and offenders with a new probation sentence. Sipes describes a program in which all the agencies that have a stake in the success of the released offender are present and the services they offer are explained to the offenders as part of the general orientation to supervision. Offenders are reminded that there are consequences for failure to comply but that there are also services they can access that will increase their chances for a successful outcome.

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Affiliations:  1: Journal Editor.