Research Insights

Beginning in 2020, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) has implemented a person-centered supervision (PCS) model for officers. This model seeks to meet the dual roles of DCS for accountability and rehabilitation by enhancing the voices of persons on probation and parole while under supervision through relying on elements of procedural justice, technology, and evidence-based research in communities across Georgia. Given the scale of the PCS model, there is a need to develop an instrument to consistently assess the quality and outcomes associated with PCS throughout the state, to ensure the model is effective and delivered in an appropriate manner. The first goal of this proposed evaluation will be to establish an internal instrument to assess PCS program quality across all 51 judicial districts in the state of Georgia. Instrument development will be conducted in four stages (1) collaborative, systematic examination of existing assessment instruments and related documents that may capture PCS practices relevant to the state of Georgia, (2) Pilot testing and refinement, (3) Instrument demonstration and (4) Instrument validation. Additionally, to our knowledge, no systematic exploration of how the PCS model relates to criminal justice and public safety outcomes currently exists. Thus, the second goal of this evaluation proposal is to examine outcomes of the PCS model in the State of Georgia using existing data provided by the Georgia Department of Supervision and other publicly available data. The results from the proposed evaluation will assist DCS in establishing an evidence-base for the PCS model as well as provide a solid foundation for future internal assessment throughout the state.

Funder: Georgia Department of Community Supervision

Amount: $661,139

PI: Orion Mowbray, School of Social Work