Overview
This lecture discusses the historical gap between criminal justice academics and practitioners, and explains how evidence-based practices (EBP) aim to bridge this gap for more effective field outcomes.
Historical Divide: Academics vs. Practitioners
- Academics and criminal justice practitioners historically used different approaches and language.
- Academic theories and research often did not translate to field practice due to lack of practitioner interest and time.
- Agencies tended to rely on tradition, anecdotal evidence, and guesses rather than tested methods.
- Some academic research was methodologically weak or lacked practical relevance.
Evidence-Based Practices (EBP)
- EBP blends scientifically valid and practical research to inform criminal justice practices.
- The goal is to communicate meaningful findings that practitioners can implement or discard based on effectiveness.
Methodological Improvements in Research
- Researchers now use rigorous methods: large sample sizes, equivalent comparison groups, valid measurements, and replication in different regions.
- These improvements increase confidence that research findings are genuine and not due to chance.
Types of Evidence-Based Practices
- Outcome-based EBP: Measures results, e.g., comparing recidivism of group vs. individual drug treatment participants.
- Process-based EBP: Focuses on techniques like providing more resources to high-risk offenders, positive reinforcement, and motivational interviewing to improve supervision and treatment outcomes.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Evidence-based practices (EBP) — Practices grounded in rigorous, scientifically valid research to guide effective decision-making.
- Recidivism — The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.
- Motivational interviewing — A counseling approach to encourage behavior change.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review examples of outcome-based and process-based EBPs.
- Understand key research methods used in EBP (sample size, comparison groups, replication).
- Prepare to discuss how EBP can be applied in field scenarios.