Roadmap for Evidence-Based Practices in Community Corrections

Commonwealth of Virginia: Roadmap for Evidence-Based Practices in Community Corrections
Kristy Pierce-Danford & Meghan Guevara
April 2010

Read the full Roadmap
Read individual chapters

CJI was contracted by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), in conjunction with the Virginia Community Criminal Justice Association (VCCJA), to construct this Roadmap for the implementation of evidence-based practices in local probation and pretrial agencies across the state.

The Roadmap offers valuable insights into lessons learned during the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP) and provides proven strategies for addressing challenges to sustainable change. While the document itself is Virginia-specific, it contains content and tools that are applicable to agencies and systems everywhere.

Since every agency is different in terms of culture, context, and priorities the Roadmap does not dictate rigid steps for implementation. It was written for community corrections agencies to use as a guide throughout the change process. The Roadmap provides practical guidance and useful information to agencies that would like to become or continue to be evidence-based. It includes comprehensive chapters on:

1. Lessons learned in the implementation of EBP (pdf)
2. Organizational Assessment (pdf)
3. Strategic Planning and Workplan Development (pdf)
4. Assuring Fidelity and Quality (pdf)
5. Managing Change (pdf)
6. Stakeholder Collaboration (pdf)

In order to create this Roadmap, CJI first conducted a retrospective study to review progress and benchmarks achieved across ten local probation and pretrial pilot sites in the areas of EBP, organizational development, and collaboration (the components of CJI and the National Institute of Correction's Integrated Model). The findings of the retrospective study were utilized as evidence to guide the development of this Roadmap. The Roadmap incorporates findings and lessons learned from phase one EBP implementation sites in Virginia, suggestions from existing and future EBP sites, and CJI's EBP implementation work throughout the nation.

This project was supported by a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance in partnership with Virginia’s Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Virginia Community Criminal Justice Association (VCCJA).