Ohio APA President's Award

COLUMBUS, Ohio-The Ohio Adult Parole Authority (APA) recently received national recognition for developing an innovative online staff learning application.

The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) awarded the Ohio APA its President's Award after showcasing an online application that allows parole officers and community partners to quickly reference evidence-based practices and opportunities to enhance their skills as change agents. The President's Award recognizes those "leading community corrections into the next decade […] and honors the most visionary among them."

APA staff collaborated with computer developers to create an on-demand learning application for correctional professionals. This application is a centralized hub of resources related to various evidence-based practices and interventions. Parole officers who use it describe it as "YouTube for community corrections."

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's (ODRC) information technology department and the APA developed the application using federal grant money from the Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded to the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS). OCJS distributed a portion of the grant money to ODRC and the APA for the application's development. Over 60 APA staff members contributed their expertise and insight to ensure this application would be informative and transformative. Work on the application began in 2021 with the application launching in June 2023.

The user interface when someone accesses the online application

An employee at Oriana House Inc., one of the APA's community partners, described the application as "having access to a coach in the moment to help staff enhance their performance." Many community partners now include the Ohio Parole Evidence-Based Practices application in their training.

"We were thrilled to see the hard work of our staff recognized on a national level," said ODRC Director Annette Chambers-Smith. "This award reflects the dedication and innovation of our staff, who brought this idea from a concept to an online application that is now available to anyone at any time."

The APA has shared the application with various halfway houses, community-based correctional facilities and probation offices. The app is open to anyone at this link.

Roger Wilson, Deputy Director DPCS

"Being a recipient of the President's Award is a tremendous honor and a testament to the commitment of our leadership and the entire team to employ evidence-based principles in supervision to effect positive behavior change," said Roger Wilson, Deputy Director of the Division of Parole and Community Services (DPCS.) "We are equally proud that these tools are available, not just to parole staff, but all of DRC and our community partners."

APPA serves as the community corrections leading membership association. Their work is supported by thousands of members throughout the United States and Canada, as well as other countries involved in strengthening community corrections work.

DPCS is the community corrections division of ODRC and consists of the Bureau of Adult Detention Bureau of Community Sanctions, the Office of Victim Services, the Ohio Parole Board, and the APA.