Description
This course empowers corrections leaders to harness data for smarter decision-making and transformative leadership. In today’s complex environment, data is more than numbers—it’s the key to crafting compelling public narratives, countering misinformation, and steering strategic priorities. Yet the vast amount of data generated in corrections settings, combined with the challenges of extracting meaningful insights and navigating bureaucratic hurdles, can make this task daunting.
Designed for leaders of corrections agencies and their executive staff, this course provides practical tools and insights to bring data-driven decision-making to your team. Learn directly from experienced corrections leaders and CSG Justice Center experts how to overcome common barriers and use data effectively to drive impactful changes in your organization.
The lessons below are designed to help corrections leaders leverage the full potential of data to strengthen public trust and shape strategic priorities. This course offers practical tools and proven strategies to help you navigate the challenges of managing vast amounts of information and translating it into meaningful insights. It bridges the gap between overwhelming data and impactful leadership, equipping you with the skills and knowledge to turn information into action, refine your agency’s direction, and lead with confidence and clarity.
Intended Audience
There are no prerequisites for this course. Corrections leaders have varying levels of experience with data and data analysis, and we have designed this course with that in mind.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will learn the following:
- Essential Metrics and KPIs: Discover nationally recognized key performance indicators to monitor and measure success in corrections.
- Strategic Data Analysis: Develop the skills to ask the right questions about graphs, charts, and tables, ensuring you focus on actionable insights.
- Proven Practices: Explore real-world case studies and best practices from top corrections leaders.
- Practical Resources: Leverage tools and support available through your research and analysis office to maximize your organization’s potential.
Structure
The course includes lessons that teach different aspects of leading on data. You can take them in order or sample lessons in a different order if one or two topics seem most relevant. Each lesson consists of a video presentation and written guidance for reference. Lessons 2 and 3 provide an exercise that allows you to practice what you’ve learned. Lesson 5 offers several real-world examples of the course principles in action, using the voices and stories of corrections directors across the country.
| Lesson |
Learning Objectives |
| 1: Introduction to using data in corrections |
- Understanding the basics of data-driven decision-making in corrections and its importance
- Corrections-specific obstacles to using data and how to overcome them
|
| 2: Using data as a director to set the course for your department |
- What a key performance indicator (KPI) is
- Using KPIs across your system
- Defining traditional KPIs in corrections
- Setting up newer KPIs that give a more holistic view of success
|
| 3: Reading data as a leader |
- How to ask the right questions about your data
- How to understand the answer: interpreting graphs and charts
- How to understand the answer: follow-up questions to ask
- Digging deeper: leveraging data across administrative units, geography, and across time (comparative assessments)
- Making a data-driven decision and following up on understanding its impacts
|
| 4: Leveraging the data people in your agency |
- Effective use of research and analysis units
- Developing executive staff to lead on data
- Supporting your research and analysis unit
|
| 5: Data, corrections, and the real world |
- Using data to tell your story: combatting false narratives
- Using data in corrections: monitoring changes in administrative segregation policies
- Using data in corrections: analyzing and reducing racial disparities
- Using data in corrections: improving staff retention
|
