Guiding Principles

To change offender behavior, supervision should focus on altering an offender's dynamic factors to achieve better results. Dynamic factors include criminal thinking, substance abuse, poor family relations, low internal controls, criminal or antisocial peer associations, and antisocial personality.
To change offender behavior, the goal should be to improve offender decision-making in pro-social arenas and to reduce distorted thinking patterns.
To change offender behavior, high-risk offenders should receive intensive (and structured) programs and/or services.
To change offender behavior, supervision staff should focus on understanding the offender's prior and current behavior. And, the supervision staff should work with the offender to increase his/her own understanding of their behavior patterns and the consequences of engaging in negative and/or antisocial behavior.
To change offender behavior, the emphasis should be on criminogenic needs (dynamic factors) to reduce the offender's risk of recidivism.

Section 2

Assessment and Case Planning

Guiding Principles

Supervision staff should consider the offender's current stage of change in assigning supervision and/or treatment services.
The key to identifying supervision and/or treatment services is to match the offender's dynamic factors with appropriate services. For offenders with multiple criminogenic needs, programs that address four or more of the factors will yield better results.
The offender's risk factors should determine the supervision services. The higher the risk, the more external controls such as curfews, drug testing, face-to-face contacts, etc.
The supervision plan should be a behavioral contract. The offender should be part of the team to develop the plan to ensure ownership and acceptance of the quarterly progress measures. The offender should sign this contract.
The behavioral contract should prioritize the accomplishments that an offender should achieve on a quarterly basis. Progress should be tied to clear behavioral objectives (e.g., obtain weekly drug testing, obtain an assessment, etc.). Prioritization should first address areas of interest to the him/her as a tool to facilitate change.
The behavioral contract should encompass supervision requirements, court and/ or parole mandated conditions, treatment services, and expected sanctions and incentives. Included should be the requirements and expected consequences for positive and negative progress.
Supervision staff should use problem-solving techniques with the offender to assist the offender in learning alternative behaviors and reactions to triggers (e.g., people, places, and things) that contribute to criminal behavior and/or substance abuse.

Section 3

Communication Tools

Guiding Principles

Supervision agencies should develop policies and procedures that focus on developing positive rapport and trust between the staff and offender.
Supervision agencies should develop policies and procedures that promote the use of open, direct, and empathetic communication between the staff and offender.
Supervision agencies should ensure that the physical space available to staff encourages private discussions between staff and offender.
Supervision agencies should measure the performance of staff in using effective communication strategies that assist the offender in the change process.

Section 4

Information Tools

Guiding Principles

Supervision agencies should use information tools to acquire information about the offender and his/her behavior. The collected information should be shared with him/her to assist the offender in learning about his/her behavior patterns.
Supervision agencies should use information tools to control the behavior of the offender, as well as provide feedback on his/her behavioral patterns.
Supervision agencies should develop policies and procedures that focus on developing informal social controls (e.g., family, non-criminal peers, community support groups, etc.) to foster the development of natural relationships. Informal social controls are the key to long-term change in the offender's behavior and provide the offender with supportive relationships in the community.
Supervision agencies should develop collateral contacts with the offender's natural support system to achieve pro-social goals for the offender.
Supervision agencies should use drug testing and monitoring techniques (e.g., GPS, house arrest, etc.) to control offender behavior.
Supervision agencies should use drug testing and monitoring techniques to inform the offender of his/her behavior patterns.

Section 5

Incentives to Shape Offender Behavior

Guiding Principles

Supervision agencies should use incentives to encourage and reinforce pro-social behaviors.
Supervision agencies should use incentives in a swift, certain, and progressive manner, just like sanctions, to shape offender behaviors.

Section 6

Service Tools

Guiding Principles

Supervision agencies should use service tools-treatment programs-to develop internal controls.
Supervision agencies should use service tools-treatment programs-based on the criminogenic needs of the offender.

Section 7

Offender Types

Guiding Principles

Supervision agencies should develop minimum supervision standards in the form of practice guidelines for different types of offenders.
Supervision agencies should ensure that the different standards for each type of offender is based on a solid assessment protocol, matches offenders to appropriate treatment and supervision services, and establishes quarterly goals and objectives for the offender to achieve.