NIC Grant: Enhancing Parole Board Training Resources for Effective Public Safety

It is estimated that over 800,000 people return to the community each year following a period of incarceration. Over the years, there has been an increase in the use of parole supervision as institution populations have increased. During 2020, the parole supervision population increased in 30 states and decreased in only 19 states and Washington, DC1.

People can transition through the correctional system and reenter society on parole supervision in ways that both improve their chances of success (reduced recidivism) and ensure public safety. Because they are one of the gate keepers to public safety, paroling authorities and their members should have the competencies to effectively deliver paroling services effectively and efficiently. Well prepared paroling authorities understand how to use current research to guide operations that make communities safer.

NIC is the only agency that offers state paroling authorities access to free parole board training. In 2010, NIC developed the only training for parole board members in the United States. In 2020, NIC revised the training curricula for parole board members and chairs to be delivered virtually in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both trainings encourage participants to explore their beliefs and how those beliefs influence their work on the parole board. The trainings describe how paroling authorities can use evidence-based decision-making and practices to improve operations. Both trainings, for parole board members and chairs, were designed to equip the boards to:

– Make sound and informed release decisions

– Build infrastructure and capacity within parole organizations

– Understand their unique role as a member of a paroling authority

NIC’s parole board member virtual training is composed of a pre-assignment, virtual sessions, and homework assignments. The virtual sessions were delivered for the first time in the summer of 2021. The post training assessments for the parole board member trainings indicated that while the virtual training was well received, it lacked supportive training materials. A number of the face-to-face training materials were not used in the virtual sessions. The parole board chair virtual training has not yet been delivered. The virtual conversion was completed in 2022.

NIC revises its parole board curriculum every 3 years to ensure it is relevant and consists of the most current knowledge and practices in the field. To continue to deliver current virtual trainings to parole board members and chairs, new materials must be added, so NIC can deliver training that meets the changing and ongoing needs of parole boards.