Publications

Labrecque, Ryan M, Myrinda Schweitzer, and Paula Smith. “Exploring the Perceptions of the Offender-Officer Relationship in a Community Supervision Setting.” Academic and Business Research Institute. Journal of Criminal Justice Research. http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/121424.pdf.
This study explores the impact of the Effective Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) model on offender perceptions of their collaborative working relationships with supervising probation or parole officers. The data in this study was collected as part of an EPICS project at the University of Cincinnati. The results examine the nature and quality of offender perceptions of their probation or parole officers based on officer training status (i.e., trained versus untrained officers) and officer adherence to the EPICS model (i.e., high-fidelity versus low-fidelity officers). The results also examine the influence of offender perceptions on the likelihood of rearrest. Policy implications and recommendations for future research are outlined. 

“Tips for Building Rapport.” American Probation and Parole Association, 2015. https://info.nicic.gov/ccar/sites/info.nicic.gov.ccar/files/tips-for-building-rapport.pdf
Handout created by the American Probation and Parole Association. This brief handout provides tips to influence and guide probationers to comply with their supervision.

Pittaro, Michael. “9 Soft Skills Every Criminal Justice Professional Needs.” Corrections1. In Public Safety, September 24, 2018. https://www.corrections1.com/american-military-university/articles/9-soft-skills-every-criminal-justice-professional-needs-D8HR9La3uzDI8Y8L/.
Soft skills encompass personal characteristics and traits. They are the intangible skills, which are challenging to quantify and measure, but something that criminal justice employers, myself included, seek out in candidates. Unfortunately, soft skills are largely lacking and overlooked within the criminal justice profession, particularly within law enforcement and corrections.

Walters, Scott T, Michael D Clark, Ray Gingerich, and Melissa Meltzer. “Motivating Offenders to Change: A Guide for Probation and Parole.” National Institute of Corrections, July 21, 2022. https://nicic.gov/motivating-offenders-change-guide-probation-and-parole.
This publication "provides probation and parole officers and other correctional professionals with both a solid grounding in the principles behind MI [motivational interviewing] and a practical guide for applying these principles in their everyday dealings with offenders" (p.2). Seven chapters are contained in this guide: how MI fits in with evidence-based practice; how and why people change; the motivational interviewing style; preparing for change; building motivation for change; navigating through tough times--working with deception, violations, and sanctions; and from start to finish--putting MI into practice.