Incorporating Those with Lived Experience to Improve Community Supervision Outcomes

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Russo, Joe

Contributor:

Jackson, Brian A.

Vermeer, Michael J. D.

Woods, Dulani

Language:

English

Place of Publication:

RAND Corporation 2024

Summary:

The majority of individuals under correctional control in the United States are on probation or parole supervision. Despite efforts by community supervision agencies to implement evidence-based practices and interventions known to reduce reoffending, nearly one-third of those exiting probation and parole annually fail to successfully complete their term of supervision. One promising approach to lowering this number that is gaining traction among community supervision agencies involves partnering with individuals with lived experience with the justice system to better support supervisees and improve outcomes. To explore the challenges and opportunities associated with incorporating lived experience into the community supervision process, the University of Denver and RAND hosted a workshop on behalf of the National Institute of Justice. Participants in the workshop identified and prioritized 28 needs, with nine ranked as high-priority, falling into such categories as overcoming resistance, implementation issues, hiring barriers, research and evaluation, capacity-building, and training and standards. Themes that emerged included the perceived underutilization of lived experience initiatives, the need for guidance and support for community supervision agencies, the need for appropriate metrics to evaluate effectiveness, the need to understand barriers to hiring individuals with lived experience, the need to address differential needs of those with lived experience, the need for a sustainable pipeline of individuals with lived experience, and the need for standards and best practices for lived experience roles. Overall, the workshop highlighted the potential of lived experience initiatives and the importance of addressing the identified needs to promote broader adoption and improve outcomes.