Held during APPA’s 41st Annual Training Institute
August 29-30, 2016 | Cleveland, Ohio

The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA), the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, and the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice have partnered to deliver a Juvenile Probation Reform Academy for juvenile probation and parole leaders and managers.

When is the Academy Held?
The program will be held as a special training at the APPA’s 41st Annual Training Institute in Cleveland, OH. The APPA Training Institute is from August 28-31, 2016; the JPRA special training program will occur on August 29-30, 2016 during the Institute.

Who is its Target Audience?
The program seeks juvenile probation department directors, managers, and supervisors with a minimum of 5 years of experience leading juvenile justice probation and parole system programs and services in their state and/or local jurisdictions. Specifically, applicants should possess the following:

  • Decision-making authority over management practices and policies
  • An awareness of best practices in programming and supervision
  • Knowledge about developing and measuring system and youth outcomes
  • An understanding of how youth outcomes are affected by probation officer supervision practices
  • A belief in the importance of positive opportunities to enhance inter- and intra-agency relationships and work processes among other youth-serving and court partners
  • Demonstrated commitment to learning how to conduct a systematic examination and review of their probation department
  • Readiness to implement change based on the results of systematic examination

Can We Register as an Individual or as a Team?
Yes! Individuals can apply to attend the JPRA.

If you have several individuals from the same jurisdiction who are working together on reform efforts, you can apply to participate together in the JPRA. The team must not exceed 4 members. Only one application will be submitted for the team. Each team application must designate a team leader as the primary contact person and applicant. Given the focus of the Juvenile Probation Reform Academy, the team leader should be a juvenile probation department director, manager, or supervisor.

What Will Participants Learn?
As confinement rates have declined by almost half over the last 15 years, probation departments are increasingly challenged to use their resources efficiently to supervise high-risk youth in the community. Research shows that supervision agencies can have a significant impact on recidivism by matching youth with the appropriate level, type, and quality of supervision and services. However, few comprehensive, high-quality professional development opportunities exist specifically to help juvenile probation and parole leaders learn about the research on “what works” to improve youth outcomes, and how to reform their policies and practices accordingly.

The Juvenile Probation Reform Academy is designed to instruct probation and parole directors and managers on the core principles demonstrated by research to reduce recidivism and improve other outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system. Participants will develop strategies for applying this research to their own agencies and will learn how to conduct a systematic review of agency policies, practices, and performance, and implement agency-wide reforms.
Specifically, by the conclusion of the Academy, participants should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the policies and practices demonstrated by research to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system
  • Apply this research to their own agencies through a process that examines policy, practice, and service provision to inform opportunities for system enhancement, improvement, and reform

Is the Academy Accredited?
This program will be accredited by APPA. Participants will earn a certificate of completion for 10.5 hours at the conclusion of the program.

How Much Does the Academy Cost?
If accepted into the Juvenile Probation Reform Academy, participants will be required to register for and pay the registration fee for the APPA Annual Training Institute. No additional fee for the Academy will be imposed on those accepted into this special training. Participants will also be required to cover their own travel and personal expenses associated with attendance. As registrants of the Institute, JPRA will have will have opportunities to attend general sessions, including the Opening Session and Evening Reception in the Expo Hall on Sunday, August 28th; the Resource Expo, receptions in the Expo Hall, plenary session on Monday, August 29th; a luncheon on Tuesday August 30th, and workshops and the closing session on Wednesday, August 31st. For more information regarding registration and costs for the APPA Annual Training Institute, click here. Unless you are planning to attend the APPA Training Institute regardless of the status of your acceptance into the Juvenile Probation Reform Academy, please do not register for the Institute until you receive notice as to whether you were accepted into this special training track.

About the Partners

The APPA is an international membership association that provides training and technical assistance to individuals who are actively involved with pretrial, probation, parole, and community-based corrections, in both criminal and juvenile justice arenas. The CSG Justice Center is a national organization that provides technical assistance and a broad range of nonpartisan, evidence-based strategies and services to policymakers across the country to improve outcomes for youth and adults in the justice system. The RFK National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, led by Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, provides consultation, technical assistance, and training to serve local, state, and national leaders, practitioners and youth-serving agencies to improve system performance and outcomes for youth involved with the juvenile justice system.

Related Core Curriculum Publications

Wiig, Janet and John A Tuell. Probation Review Guidebook. Boston, MA: Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, 2011.
Retrievable at rfknrcjj.org/images/PDFs/Probation_Review_Guidebook.pdf.

Weber, Josh and Nastassia Walsh and Elizabeth Seigle. Core Principles for Reducing Recidivism and Improving Other Outcomes for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System. New York: Council of State Governments Justice Center, 2014.
Retrievable at csgjusticecenter.org/youth/publications/juvenile-justice-white-paper/.