Contributors

This guide was developed under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections (NIC). The National Institute of Corrections funded the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine.

Authors

Maureen Baker, MA
Erica King, MSW
Tara Wheeler, MA

Key Contributors

Anne Conners, MPH
Mara Sanchez

About the Muskie School

The Muskie School of Public Service is Maine’s distinguished public policy school, combining an extensive applied research and technical assistance portfolio with rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The school is nationally recognized for applying innovative knowledge to critical issues in the fields of sustainable development and health and human service policy and management, and is home to the Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy at the University of Southern Maine.

The Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy at the Muskie School of Public Service is dedicated to developing innovative, evidence-informed, and practical approaches to pressing health and social challenges faced by individuals, families, and communities.

To serve this purpose, we engage expert staff in areas of Children, Youth and Families, Disability and Aging, Justice Policy, and Population Health and Health Policy. Partnering with clients throughout the nation, from state and federal agencies to the private sector, more than 200 research staff provide policymakers and practitioners with new knowledge, skills, and solutions to support healthier, stronger communities through:

  • Research and policy analysis
  • Training and technical assistance
  • Program development and implementation

Acknowledgements

Key informant interviews were conducted with selected victim advocates, probation and parole officers and their supervisors to inform the development of this Guide. Some of their comments are reflected throughout the Guide in the Voices from the Field. Special thanks to those who agreed to be interviewed. In respect of their wishes, they remain anonymous throughout this document. However, we are very grateful for their insight and input into this work.

The authors extend special appreciation for the professionals that have contributed to foundational work that underlies this Guide. Lorie Brisbin at the National Institute of Corrections has been pivotal in partnering with other professional entities and leading the charge to develop more resources tailored to probation and parole. We recognize and honor the work of Anne Seymour for her many contributions to this field. She has been an essential component of a larger working group at NIC working to build knowledge and capacity related to post-conviction victim services. Special thanks go to the other members of the various NIC-led work groups that have contributed to broadcasts, special publications, and other foundational tools that have informed this guide, including Joanne Archambault, End Violence Against Women International, Joye Frost, Office for Victims of Crime, and Darby Stewart, Washington State Department of Corrections.

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Office for Victims of Crime, the Office of Justice Programs, and the U.S. Department of Justice, for allowing us to reproduce, in part or in whole, the National Victim Assistance Academy curriculum. The full text is available online by visiting the OVC TTAC Web site at www.ovcttac.gov/views/TrainingMaterials/NVAA/dspNVAACurriculum.cfm.

Peer review

Finally, the professionals who have partnered with us to review and refine the Guide deserve special recognition. The Guide and the field are stronger because of the collective impact of each of these contributors.

Jeralita Costa, Washington State Department of Corrections

Lydia Newlin, Minnesota Department of Corrections

Mark Odom, Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Adam Silberman, Maine Department of Corrections

Anne Seymour, National Crime Victim Advocate