Improving probation officer effectiveness through agency–university collaboration

Reflecting on Researcher/Practice Relationships in Prison Research: A Contact Hypothesis Lens

“…For the practice partner, these benefits include access to methodological expertise (e.g. evaluation methods) (Drawbridge et al, 2018;Clodfelter et al, 2014;Nilson et al, 2014;Secret et al, 2011;Cunningham, 2008), extra resource or expertise in areas where there is limited capacity (Clodfelter et al, 2014;Nilson et al, 2014;Cunningham, 2008), information which helps improve services and decision making (Nilson et al, 2014) and intellectual stimulation (Cunningham, 2008). There are noted benefits for the academic partner also.…”

“…There are noted benefits for the academic partner also. The partnerships provide an opportunity for researchers to apply knowledge to real life problems/testing and refining theories in situ (Drawbridge et al, 2018;Clodfelter et al, 2014;Nilson et al, 2014). A better understanding of practice environment for both researchers and students is developed (Kerrison et al, 2019;Clodfelter et al, 2014) and researchers are able to collect data from the field and new and alternative data sources (Nilson et al, 2014).…”

“…The partnerships provide an opportunity for researchers to apply knowledge to real life problems/testing and refining theories in situ (Drawbridge et al, 2018;Clodfelter et al, 2014;Nilson et al, 2014). A better understanding of practice environment for both researchers and students is developed (Kerrison et al, 2019;Clodfelter et al, 2014) and researchers are able to collect data from the field and new and alternative data sources (Nilson et al, 2014). Researchers can hereby also be more in-tune with the needs of the community and society, making research more relevant and of public value (Clodfelter et al, 2014;Nilson et al, 2014).…”

“…A better understanding of practice environment for both researchers and students is developed (Kerrison et al, 2019;Clodfelter et al, 2014) and researchers are able to collect data from the field and new and alternative data sources (Nilson et al, 2014). Researchers can hereby also be more in-tune with the needs of the community and society, making research more relevant and of public value (Clodfelter et al, 2014;Nilson et al, 2014). They can disseminate research findings to a broader audience (Nilson et al, 2014) and build a more diverse professional network (Clodfelter et al, 2014).…”

Drug Testing and Community Supervision Outcomes

“…Training involved role-playing, coaching, booster sessions, and other strategies noted as essential to effective skill development (see Chadwick et al, 2015; Clodfelter et al, 2016; Crime and Justice Institute, 2009; Taxman et al, 2005). STARR “proficiency” was determined by the district leadership based upon a skill proficiency instrument developed in collaboration with external researchers (see Clodfelter et al, 2014). The proficiency instrument provides a two-factor score (technical and global skills) and officers must meet minimum thresholds on both factors to be determined proficient (Clodfelter et al, 2016).…”