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A Coach (Referee) Model for Change: Reengineering Your Organization to Support Behavior Change
SESSION INFO
Monday, August 25, 2025
9:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Session Type: Workshop
Community supervision agencies are shifting away from a model rooted in surveillance and rule enforcement and moving toward one that invests in people’s ability to change, grow, and thrive. Increasingly, these organizations are recognizing that well-trained staff using evidence-based practices (EBPs) are key to improving outcomes—not just for individuals on supervision, but for entire communities. To support this shift, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), in partnership with Justice System Partners (JSP), is delivering training and technical assistance grounded in the Coach (Referee) Model for Change (CRMC). This multi-year process helps agencies move from simply managing compliance to building organizations where success is defined by personal growth and lasting change. The CRMC is based on two core beliefs: 1.People have the capacity to thrive. 2.Community supervision staff are responsible for supporting that potential—not just enforcing rules. Instead of acting like referees who blow the whistle on every misstep, the CRMC reimagines supervision officers as coaches—people who invest in those they supervise, get to know them deeply, and co-create success plans that recognize progress, not just perfection. In this workshop, participants will learn about the CRMC process and hear directly from agency staff who are in the midst of this transformation—working every day to build coaching organizations where both staff and the people they serve are supported to succeed.
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SESSION PRESENTERS
Kevin R Kuehmeier
Senior Associate, Justice System Partners
Kevin Kuehmeier is a Senior Associate at JSP. He currently works assisting criminal and juvenile legal systems and community partners with transforming their systems. Mr. Kuehmeier provides technical assistance to several jurisdictions involved in the Safety and Justice Challenge through the MacArthur Foundation to safely reduce jail populations, eliminate ineffective and unfair practices, and reduce racial disparities. He provides pretrial assessment training and implementation assistance, strategic planning assistance, and is working with the National Institute of Corrections assisting with leadership development and training, Organizational Coaching Assessment assistance, and development of resource videos for community supervision professionals. Mr. Kuehmeier has 25 years of experience working for the U.S. Courts with Federal Probation and Pretrial Services. He has 13 years of experience working in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Western District of New York and 12 years of experience working as a Probation and Pretrial Services Administrator with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington D.C. and Charleston, SC. Mr. Kuehmeier is skilled in providing national organizational assessment, technical assistance, and training. He received a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York College at Buffalo.
Dr. Laura Van Der Lugt
Senior Associate, Justice System Partners
Dr. Laura van der Lugt is a justice policy change catalyst committed to building more equitable, data-driven systems. As a Senior Associate III at Justice System Partners, she leads research, policy, and technical assistance initiatives to drive meaningful change in the criminal legal system. With deep experience in policy development, system transformation, and stakeholder engagement, Dr. van der Lugt has played a key role in national justice reform efforts, including expanding Justice Counts to improve data transparency. She has held leadership roles at the Council of State Governments Justice Center, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department (MA), Roca, Inc., and the City of Boston. She holds a PhD in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern University and is passionate about centering people and communities in systems transformation to create sustainable pathways for success and safety.
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