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Marshall District corrections official briefs Pipestone County commissioners on evidence-based probation approach
Summary
Chanel Schneider, corrections program director, told commissioners the probation office is shifting toward evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral and coaching methods aimed at reducing recidivism and improving supervision outcomes; formal recidivism metrics are forthcoming as county-level data collection is implemented.
Chanel Schneider, corrections program director for the Marshall District, briefed the Pipestone County Board of Commissioners on June 24 about changes in probation supervision that emphasize evidence-based practices and behavioral coaching.
Schneider said the office is moving beyond a checklist approach and is training agents to identify and address the thought processes and life experiences that drive behavior. The approach uses established risk-needs assessments and complementary tools to target interventions where they are most likely to reduce reoffending. Schneider described the work as a multi-year evolution rather than a sudden change, and said agents are incorporating coaching techniques to help clients reach their own realizations about behavior rather than relying solely on directive supervision.
On measurement, Schneider said statewide systems are being updated to capture more detailed statistics on outcomes, and that local data will improve once the back-end algorithms that generate county-level reports are deployed. Commissioners asked about measurable results; Schneider said county-level recidivism data are not yet robust enough to show significant trends but that the new case management system (CSTS) will allow more consistent tracking in the near term. Schneider noted that drug court remains an intensive supervision track and that two recent drug-court graduates show encouraging individual outcomes.
No formal action was requested of the board; commissioners thanked probation staff for the presentation and the department’s work to adopt evidence-based practices.
