Why Do This Step?
Establishing a Dosage Probation Policy Team is critical for effectively implementing dosage probation. The policy team, made up of system stakeholders representing various disciplines, is responsible for leading the implementation and evaluation of dosage probation in collaboration with the Dosage Probation Workgroup. The team promotes collaboration among system stakeholders, steers the development of policies that align with evidence-based practices related to probation sentencing, supervision, and discharge, and ensures that the desired impacts are achieved.
IMPORTANT
It’s important to remember lessons learned from the dosage probation pilot sites. These lessons highlight that for dosage probation to be effectively implemented and sustained, it must be seen as a jurisdiction-level effort, not a probation-only initiative. This underscores the necessity of establishing a policy team to drive dosage probation as a collaborative effort across disciplines.
This section helps you understand the policy team's purpose, guides you in establishing and kicking off the team's activities, and prepares you for the next steps.
TO DO
- Familiarize yourself with the primary role, responsibilities, and activities of the policy team
- Secure commitment from your team members
- Prepare for and conduct the policy team kickoff meeting
- Develop your team charter
- Get ready for the team's next steps
The Policy Team's Role and Responsibilities
The policy team is the jurisdiction's formal, multidisciplinary decision-making council that prepares and plans to implement the dosage probation model. The policy team comprises, at minimum, key stakeholders representing the judiciary, prosecution, defense, probation, law enforcement, and people harmed by crime. In addition, the policy team oversees the jurisdiction's implementation and evaluation efforts to ensure that the model's desired impacts (e.g., recidivism reduction, desistance from crime) are achieved.
QUOTE
“As a Chief Public Defender, I appreciated being part of the Dosage Probation Policy Team and seeing how the planning process brought together the multi-faceted knowledge of individual leaders in the various departments of the judicial system with the goal of incentivizing and supporting an individual's successful reformation journey and reintegration into their community.” –Meg Mitchell, Former Chief Public Defender, Third Judicial District, Minnesota
QUOTE
“Our stakeholders—policy team members—worked closely to develop dosage criteria and policies that we all agreed on. Since implementation, our team periodically reviews these policies, data, and other information to ensure the dosage probation model’s integrity. We recognize that we may need to adjust how we deliver dosage probation as our community grows.” –Mark A. Ostrem, County Attorney, Olmsted County Attorney’s Office
When established and managed with intentionality, the policy team effectively collaborates with the probation agency's Dosage Probation Workgroup to develop and revise policies and practices that align with the dosage probation model, such as those related to sentencing, supervision, and discharge. Following implementation, the policy team continues working closely with probation to safeguard the effectiveness of the dosage probation model by monitoring progress regularly and recommending data-driven policy and practice adjustments as appropriate.
Throughout these processes, the policy team actively ensures their colleagues receive the communication, education, and support required to integrate the new policies and practices into their professional duties and responsibilities, for example, enrolling all judges in dosage probation to help ensure their fidelity to the policy team's sentencing and discharge decisions.
NOTE
Collaboration Resources
The word "collaboration" is often used interchangeably with terms such as "communication," "coordination," and "cooperation" when, in fact, collaboration encompasses all of these meanings and more. Collaboration is the exchange of information, altering of activities, sharing of resources, and enhancement of the capacity of another for the mutual benefit of all and to achieve a common purpose.*
When launching the Dosage Probation Policy Team, the chairperson (and possibly others responsible for convening and leading the policy team) is strongly urged to review the following resources on establishing and maintaining a collaborative policy-making environment.
- The Importance of Collaborative Leadership in Achieving Effective Criminal Justice Outcomes (.pdf) defines collaborative leadership, explains why it is essential to achieving effective criminal justice system outcomes, and explores common qualities and skills of effective collaborative leaders.
- The National Institute of Corrections' Evidence-Based Decision Making Starter Kit provides a wealth of information and resources to help collaborative criminal justice policy teams build their capacity to engage in evidence-based decision making. Some resources related to building a collaborative policy team include:
*Adapted from Carter, M. M. (2005). The emergence of collaboration as the preferred approach in criminal justice. Center for Effective Public Policy and State Justice Institute. https://cepp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Emergence-of-Collaboration-as-the-Preferred-Approach-in-Criminal-Justice-2005.pdf
The Policy Team's Core Activities
The policy team's primary activities throughout implementation include those listed below. The Dosage Probation Toolkit will lead the team through these activities.
- Develop and approve a dosage probation logic model in collaboration with the Dosage Probation Workgroup.
- Develop dosage probation policies and procedures by gathering and reviewing relevant data, current policies and practices, input from the workgroup on behalf of the probation agency, and other information—such as feedback from colleagues—and discussing and reaching an agreement on the Dosage Probation Policy Questions (.pdf). The policy questions relate to sentencing, early discharge, performance measures and other data needs, stakeholder education or training, communications strategies, and the continuous quality improvement and sustainability of dosage probation.
- Provide input on the policy decisions made by the workgroup on behalf of the probation agency.
- Review data regarding the implementation and evaluation of dosage probation and recommend policy adjustments in collaboration with the probation agency as appropriate.
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It is recommended that the policy team meet for at least 90 minutes monthly to accomplish their work and maintain a progressive and steady implementation pace. Ultimately, the policy team must agree on the frequency and duration of their meetings. The team should have sufficient time each month to share information, delve into discussions, and make informed policy decisions.
The policy team may also, at its discretion, establish ad hoc subcommittees to streamline the team's efforts. Subcommittees are often useful for gathering more information about a topic or issue, diving more deeply into discussions, or developing policy recommendations for the team's review and approval. For example, a communications subcommittee can create and offer to the policy team a protocol for responding to a dosage probation case that results in an unwanted, and perhaps public, outcome.
Secure Commitment from Your Policy Team Members
The first steps in mobilizing your Dosage Probation Policy Team are to garner support from the required stakeholders and confirm their willingness to serve as policy team members. At a minimum, the policy team must include the following key stakeholders:
- Your local chief judge
- Your local chief public defender
- Your local elected district attorney
- Your local chief of probation
- Your local chief law enforcement officer (police and/or sheriff)
- A local representative of people harmed by crime
Each key stakeholder should have been interviewed during the readiness assessment to determine their level of support for dosage probation and willingness to serve as a policy team member (or appoint a designee). All key stakeholders are essential to successfully implementing dosage probation and must have already agreed to join the policy team (or be represented by an appointed designee). It is not recommended that you implement dosage probation without the support and policy team participation or representation of all key stakeholders. As some time has typically passed since the interviews, it is recommended that you follow up with each stakeholder accordingly to confirm their membership.
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While your key stakeholders agreed to participate on the policy team, not all of them may fully support dosage probation or be 100% committed when they come to the table. Some stakeholders may have concerns about pledging their time, changing long-held policies and practices, or something else. Hesitation or indecision is a common response to change and can signify healthy skepticism. Sometimes simply agreeing to join and being open-minded and willing to learn are good first steps to building a collaborative and effective policy team.
Some policy teams choose to include additional stakeholders as permanent members or temporary guests, depending on the policy question or issue being addressed. For example, other criminal justice system officials—such as another judge, assistant/deputy personnel, or a communications specialist—might have expressed interest in or be invited to join at the policy team's discretion. Some policy teams also choose to assign delegates should members be absent from a meeting. The policy team typically consists of no more than 10 members—a group size that is large enough to bring diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the table but not so large that the number of people hinders the team's efficiency in making policy decisions and moving forward other implementation activities.
QUOTE
“The implementation process takes time and entails significant decision making. It’s important to ensure you have the right people at the table, as implementation also relies on using policy team meetings in an effective and efficient manner. You want to be sure not to waste valuable time second-guessing decisions or doubling back to those that can move the needle in the implementation process if not already involved.” – Nikki Niles, Director, Dodge & Olmsted Community Corrections
All policy team members must become champions of dosage probation. Experience demonstrates that the most effective policy teams consist of people who embrace their role as advocates and leaders of the dosage probation model for their jurisdiction. They make policy decisions impacting system stakeholders across various disciplines and continuously educate, enroll, and support their colleagues in implementing those policies. They also demonstrate positivity and optimism, respond to questions and inquiries, share information, collaborate with and gather input from others, spotlight successes, and resolve setbacks and challenges for their jurisdiction.
QUOTE
“As a member of the policy team, it was important for me to share information with the other judges in Wright County. I answered questions and gathered input from the other judges to share with the policy team. Collaborative decision making is what makes this process the success that it is.” –Judge Suzanne Bollman, 10th Judicial District Court, Wright County, Minnesota.
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Shared agreements among policymakers and stakeholders are critical to implementing dosage probation successfully. As learned through the original dosage probation pilot sites, all parties must be knowledgeable about and feel confident in dosage probation. For example, in Milwaukee County, ongoing communication and education proved critical to achieving buy-in among stakeholders, as some had a misperception that dosage would be "probation light." It is thus essential to secure agreement from each policy team member to continuously educate and engage leadership and other colleagues about the dosage model, the implementation plan, and progress made.
For more lessons learned regarding stakeholder support, see Dosage Probation: A Prescription Based on Two Pilot Sites' Experiences (.pdf).
Consider the following questions to help you determine how best to approach and confirm commitment among your policy team members. You may need to address other issues specific to your agency or jurisdiction.
- What information will you share with key stakeholders and possibly others about the policy team's activities and the roles and responsibilities of being a policy team member?
- Who is most supportive or least supportive of dosage probation, and why? Suppose a key stakeholder has agreed to be a policy team member but voices apprehension. How might you help assuage their concerns? Will you meet with them to address their concerns and questions? Might a respected policy team member supportive of dosage probation speak to them?
- Are there other system stakeholders who have expressed interest in joining? What would they bring to the table—a perspective not represented by the other team members, strong leadership, or something else? Does it make sense to establish them as policy team members now or wait for the policy team to agree on their membership?
Prepare and Conduct Your Policy Team Kickoff
Getting your policy team off to a good start requires preparation. The kickoff meeting is designed to lay a strong foundation of knowledge and collaboration to support the policy team's decision making and other activities moving forward.
You may start preparing by reviewing the Dosage Probation Policy Team Kickoff Agenda Template (.doc). It includes the recommended meeting goals, topics, and discussion points to be covered and the time frames for each, totaling two hours. You must customize the [bracketed] information and may make further adjustments to meet the needs of your policy team or jurisdiction. For example, you may not want to allocate time for introductions if the policy team members know each other already. Or, you may decide to hold the meeting over two one-hour sessions instead of one two-hour session.
You may also begin by reviewing the Dosage Probation Policy Team Kickoff Presentation Template (.ppt). The presentation follows and expands on the information in the agenda and contains suggested talking points and approaches to discussions and activities. You must customize the slides with [bracketed] information and may make further adjustments to meet the needs of your policy team or jurisdiction. The modifications you make to the presentation may require changes to the agenda and vice versa.
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Effective facilitation is critical to a successful meeting and much more. It is often the key to turning a group into a team and guiding them to make well-informed, consensus-based decisions. As you prepare to facilitate the policy team kickoff, you may find it useful to review the following resources: The Role of Facilitators and Staff in Supporting Collaborative Teams (.pdf) and Principles of Facilitation (.pdf).
The following handouts supplement the information in the agenda and presentation: Dosage Probation Model Fundamentals (.pdf), Dosage Probation Policy Team and Workgroup Leadership Roles and Responsibilities (.pdf), and Dosage Probation Policy Questions (.pdf). The presentation slides specify when each handout should be reviewed with the policy team during the kickoff. You may also include the National Institute of Corrections' dosage probation monographs: Dosage Probation: Rethinking the Structure of Probation Sentences (.pdf) and Dosage Probation: A Prescription Based on Two Pilot Sites' Experiences (.pdf).
Consider the following questions to help you get ready for a successful kickoff. You may need to address other issues specific to your agency or jurisdiction.
- Who is best suited to facilitate the kickoff? Does it make sense to have cofacilitators? Suppose someone is already interested in volunteering to serve in one of the policy team leadership roles. Might that person be interested in facilitating or cofacilitating the meeting? Is there someone in particular who is best suited to field concerns and questions from policy team members?
- If you have cofacilitators, which sections will each person cover? What other responsibilities might each person have in preparing for or facilitating the meeting (e.g., coordinating the meeting time and logistics, emailing participants, preparing materials)? If the meeting runs short on time, which topics or discussion items are you comfortable skipping and adding to a future meeting agenda?
- As the facilitator or cofacilitator, which meeting facilitation pointers or principles linked above speak to you the most? Which do you think will be most beneficial to you and the policy team? Why?
- What is the best format (in-person or virtual) and timing for the kickoff? What date and time work best for all policy team members? Can they accommodate one two-hour session, or do they prefer two one-hour sessions or something different?
- What is the best way to inform policy team members of the chosen kickoff date(s)/time(s)? How can you ensure the best attendance? Do you want to offer a beverage or light snack?
- Is there anything policy team members should know or prepare in advance? Will you send the agenda and handouts beforehand? Who do you want to ask in advance to help with recording ideas on flip charts or whiteboards and taking meeting notes?
- Will you ask policy team members to give preliminary thought to nominating a colleague or volunteering for one of the leadership roles? Suppose you want to solicit interest from someone in particular. What authority or leadership skills do they have that best suit the role? Will you reach out to them beforehand to discuss the opportunity and encourage them to consider stepping into the role?
Develop Your Policy Team Charter
The next step in laying a strong foundation for your policy team is to develop a charter. A charter is a document that clarifies the policy team's purpose, goals, roles, and responsibilities and establishes the ground rules to be followed as the team carries out its activities. It is a source of information for team members and others to understand the direction and focus of the policy team and can help reduce confusion and duplication of efforts.
You may use the Dosage Probation Policy Team Charter Template (.doc) to develop your policy team's charter. The template includes your team's vision, mission, and values for the dosage probation initiative (see below); purpose; activities; meeting frequency and duration; membership; meeting norms; and roles and responsibilities. It also includes appendices with supplemental information. You must customize the [bracketed] information and may make further adjustments to meet the needs of your policy team or jurisdiction. For example, your jurisdiction may have other initiatives that complement or overlap with dosage probation. In this case, you could describe in your charter how dosage probation aligns with, and how the policy team can help avoid duplicate work, across the initiatives.
The policy team should have the opportunity to review and approve the final charter.
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See the National Institute of Corrections' Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) Starter Kit for more information about Creating a Charter for Your Policy Team (.pdf).
Craft Your Policy Team's Vision, Mission, and Values
An essential component of the charter is the policy team's vision, mission, and values statements. Together, they articulate what the team aspires to accomplish—where the team wants to go—and establish a clear direction and focus for achieving those goals—how the team intends to get there. When agreed upon, the vision, mission, and values represent the policy team's shared commitment to achieving its goals and act as a touchstone for collaboration and ongoing activities.
The policy team should begin developing its vision, mission, and values statements in a meeting soon after the kickoff and should strive to complete them within six months (see the “Vision, Mission, and Values Activity” in the accordion below for more information). It is also recommended that the policy team revisit the statements before implementation to ensure they are most salient.
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The vision, mission, and values statements are your team's guidepost and should be crafted with careful thought. Some policy teams wait until after they give input on the dosage probation logic model, whose creation is led by the Dosage Probation Workgroup, when they better understand the desired impacts of implementing dosage probation. Other policy teams complete the statements earlier to help inform their input on the logic model and their policy decisions.
For more tips, see the National Institute of Corrections' Getting It Right: Collaborative Problem Solving for Criminal Justice (.pdf), Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) Starter Kit, Creating a Vision for Your Policy Team (.pdf), and Developing a Mission for Your Policy Team (.pdf).
The following steps are one approach to developing vision, mission, and values statements for your team. The policy team chairperson (meeting facilitator) may choose an alternative method to better suit the team's needs.
- In a policy team meeting, review the Vision, Mission, and Values Worksheet (.doc) to ensure the policy team understands the importance and purpose of each statement.
- Ask members to take five minutes or so to quietly jot down words or phrases that could apply to the team’s core values. Then, take about 10 minutes to share and discuss members’ responses. Capture responses on a flip chart or by some other means.
- Review the policy team's responses to the "What Does Success Look Like?" activity completed during the kickoff. Ask members whether they believe each concept should be included in a vision or mission statement or neither. Capture their answers on a flip chart or by some other means.
- Ask members to take five minutes or so to quietly jot down additional words or phrases that could apply to a vision or mission statement. Then, take about 15–20 minutes to share and discuss members’ responses. Capture responses on a flip chart or by some other means.
- Identify two or three members willing to draft the team's ideas into vision, mission, and values statements.
- In a subsequent meeting, review, edit, and approve the draft statements with the policy team.
- Insert the final statements into the policy team's charter.
Get Ready for Next Steps
Once the policy team is established and completes the kickoff, the policy team chairperson should begin preparing team members for their involvement in developing a dosage probation logic model. The logic model is the blueprint or roadmap for all activities leading to implementation. It establishes a shared understanding of the plans for change, drives how changes will be implemented, serves as a tool to assess progress, and ensures the desired results are achieved. While the Dosage Probation Workgroup will lead the logic modeling activities, the policy team should be knowledgeable and ready to share their input on the logic model's various components.
The Dosage Probation Policy Team chairperson should also begin guiding the policy team through the process of developing dosage probation policies and procedures. The policy team can start answering their assigned dosage probation policy questions and memorializing their decisions as soon as they finish their kickoff discussions. In contrast, the Dosage Probation Workgroup does not typically begin to concentrate on this process until the third (planning) phase of implementation. By then, the policy team will likely have remaining policy decisions and implementation activities to complete. The team will also diverge its attention to provide input on the dosage-specific policies and procedures developed by the workgroup.