The Role of the Judge in Transforming Juvenile Probation: A Toolkit for Leadership

From the introduction:

“In the 2020 survey, an overwhelming majority of judges and probation administrators responded that efforts to promote probation practice changes should be grounded in research and be data-driven. In addition, most indicated that support for probation transformation would grow if reforms helped to address the challenge of improving racial/ethnic equity. More specifically, judges and probation administrators asked for information documenting the negative impacts of current practices and for guidance on how to improve their efforts in data-collection and analysis to bolster reform efforts. They also asked how to address race equity issues as part of the probation transformation process. Finally, the survey responses highlighted the importance of developing a compelling and unifying vision for reform and the need to build a strong consensus for change among all key juvenile justice partners (judges, prosecutors, defenders, community leaders) and among staff at all levels of the probation agency.

The Toolkit is designed to respond to these needs. It provides judges with concrete strategies and recommendations to help them jumpstart or accelerate probation transformation efforts in their jurisdictions. The Toolkit offers detailed descriptions of recommended changes in five areas of probation practice: Individualized Case Planning, Incentives and Rewards, Minimizing Conditions of Probation, Alternatives to Confinement in Response to Violations, and Probation as a Disposition for Youth Involved in Serious Delinquency.”