Welcome to the “Best Practices Guide” for Indiana probation departments. This guide is a production of the Probation Officers Advisory Board, with input from probation departments state-wide, and is intended as a reference for probation departments looking to improve their way of doing business. The content of the guide will be added to and updated on a regular basis, making it an evolving, open-ended project.
According to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, Best Practice is a management idea which asserts that “there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc.” Although considered by many to be a business buzzword, Best Practice is a useful concept and is not new to the criminal justice community. This “Best Practices Guide” will allow probation departments to share innovative policies, procedures and practices. If you have a “best practice” that should be included in the guide, please contact the Indiana Judicial Center at 317-232-1313 or judicialcenter@courts.in.gov.
Office Administration
Learn more about the administrative duties required for the operation of probation departments.
Offender Treatment & Therapy
Learn about the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Training & Professional Development
Find out about local and national training available to probation officers.
Offender Supervision
Learn about specialized and/or alternative forms of supervision and additional risk/needs assessments used in supervising offenders.
Reducing Offender Recidivism
Learn about the principles of effective interventions and how they impact offender recidivism.