2012 National Parole Resource Center Training

ANNOUNCEMENT: TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR:

Strategic Management and the Use of Evidence Based Practice for Paroling Authorities

The National Parole Resource Center (NPRC) a partnership of the Center for Effective Public Policy (CEPP), the Association of Paroling Authorities International (APAI), and the Urban Institute, supported by a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), is pleased to announce a two day workshop entitled Strategic Management and the Use of Evidence Based Practice for Paroling Authorities to be conducted Saturday, May 19 - Sunday, May 20, 2011 in Orlando, Florida in conjunction with the APAI Annual Training conference. (Although funding for this workshop is provided in the grant supporting the National Parole Resource Center, recent procedural changes at the Department of Justice require that every meeting sponsored under their funding be individually approved. A request for approval of this event—proposed in the original grant application—was submitted in November 2011, and all financial guidelines regarding how funds may be utilized are being observed. Approval is anticipated, however, funds may not be obligated—e.g., airline tickets purchased, etc.—until specific approval has been received. NPRC will keep applicants for this event fully informed as to the status of plans, and will notify them specifically before any travel costs may be incurred.)

NPRC Background

The National Parole Resource Center (NPRC) was established to address the documented and significant gap that exists in the resources and accessible knowledge base available for a critical group of justice system practitioners – paroling authorities. The NPRC, operated by a partnership among the Center for Effective Public Policy, the Association of Paroling Authorities International, and the Urban Institute was established to provide state paroling authorities with the kind of information, guidance, and support on best practices or evidence emerging from the research needed to strengthen and make the work of state paroling authorities more effective within the larger context of the criminal justice system.

Workshop Description

This workshop will provide parole board members with an overview of current knowledge about strategies aimed at behavior change and risk reduction as a way of promoting public safety. The workshop will emphasize the implementation of evidence-based practices, including the adoption of lessons from research around the use of empirically-based assessment tools to identify offenders’ risks and needs, targeting resources to those needs in order to reduce risk and recidivism, effective responses to violations of parole, and engaging and motivating offenders to encourage positive behavioral change. The workshop will provide participants with current, state-of-the art information about their role in enhancing public safety. Implementing such practices helps to equip paroling authorities and other justice agencies to withstand the scrutiny that inevitably accompanies a high profile crime involving a parolee.

NPRC to Sponsor Scholarships for a Limited Number of Parole Board Members

The NPRC is pleased to announce that the project will support the participation of at least one Parole Board Chair or other Parole Board member from up to 20 different paroling authorities. The intent of the NPRC is to ensure broad-based, nationwide participation in this event. However, if applications are not received from 20 individual parole boards, the project will fill remaining slots with members from boards with one member already participating. These decisions will be made on a first come, first served basis.

Support for these 20 participants will be in the form of “scholarships” available to pay the costs of transportation, lodging, and food for this two-day event. While the provision of food and lodging will cover this workshop only, transportation can be arranged so as to allow for attendance at the entire APAI Annual Training Conference. (Conference registration fees and additional food and lodging costs for the remainder of the APAI conference are not covered by the NPRC scholarship.)

If space permits, an additional 15 individuals may be permitted to attend the NPRC workshop (though no additional scholarships would be available for these individuals). Information about further non-scholarship slots in the workshop will be available at a later date.

Eligibility

Because of the source of funding for these scholarships, the following eligibility requirements are necessary. In order to be eligible for a scholarship to this event, a nominated candidate:

Must be a member of a state parole board or releasing authority within the United States;
Must be the Board Chair or a Member supported by the Chair’s endorsement; and
Must commit to attend both days of the workshop.

Chairs are asked to nominate only members who are interested in assuming leadership responsibility and are committed to engaging in an active role in strengthening board practices. In the event that not all scholarship opportunities are sought, remaining slots will be assigned to a second recommended participant from applying paroling authorities, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Application Process

Chairs of interested Boards may make up to two nominations:

First, for the available scholarship opportunity—they should nominate themselves or one other Board member.
Second, if there is a second interested participant, a second nomination may also be made, to take advantage of the opportunity in case another scholarship becomes available.

The deadline for receipt of the letter of application is Friday, February 17, 2012. Final selection decisions will be made by March 16, 2012. Potential participants should not make any travel arrangements to travel to the workshop without notification of final selection from the NPRC. Applications will be considered in the order in which they are received.

How to Apply

In order to apply, applicants should submit the application form that can be found at http://www.apaintl.org/conference/documents/NPRCTrainingApplicationForm12012.pdf or on the NPRC website at http://nationalparoleresourcecenter.org/ and a brief letter to Leilah Gilligan, Center for Effective Public Policy, via email at lgilligan@cepp.com with the subject line “APAI Training Application.” This letter should:

Demonstrate compliance with the eligibility requirements above,
Be signed by the board chair or releasing authority director;
Define the expiration date of the applicant’s term in their position (if applicable) and any other relevant information about the applicant’s status in their position;
Include a concise statement of the applicant’s previous attendance at workshops and trainings relative to their current position; and
Provide a concise statement of any current or recently completed projects and initiatives the agency has been involved in to improve the agency’s performance.

Questions about the application process or the workshop should be directed to: Leilah Gilligan at 415-871-4006 or lgilligan@cepp.com.

* Approval for this workshop is pending with BJA and the convening of this workshop is contingent upon this approval being received.

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2012 National Parole Resource Center Training