From Supervision to Support: Using Digital Technology to Improve Probation Outcomes with PARCA

Go Back

Arnie Aldridge is a health economist at RTI International, specializing in the economic evaluation of behavioral health interventions and large-scale healthcare programs. His work focuses on assessing cost-effectiveness, return on investment, and population-level impact to inform policy, payer decision-making, and program design. Aldridge has contributed to the evaluation of innovative interventions, including contingency management (CM), where his analyses help quantify both clinical benefits and economic value across healthcare and public systems. His work supports the development of scalable, evidence-based models by translating complex outcomes—such as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), healthcare utilization, and long-term cost offsets—into actionable insights for stakeholders. He collaborates with academic institutions, healthcare systems, and industry partners to design rigorous studies, including randomized trials and simulation models, that assess intervention impact across diverse populations. Through this work, Aldridge plays a key role in demonstrating how data-driven, behaviorally informed approaches can improve outcomes while remaining financially sustainable. Known for combining methodological rigor with practical application, Aldridge helps bridge the gap between research and implementation—ensuring that effective interventions are not only clinically sound, but also economically viable at scale.

Steven Jenkins is the CEO of Q2i and Contingency Management Innovations (CMI), leading efforts to modernize behavioral health and community supervision through evidence-based contingency management (CM), AI, and scalable digital tools. Under his leadership, Q2i has implemented large-scale recovery incentive programs across multiple states, delivering measurable improvements in treatment adherence, retention, and population health outcomes. The company’s platforms enable secure incentive delivery, real-time monitoring, and regulatory-compliant reporting at scale. Through CMI, Jenkins is advancing next-generation CM by integrating AI, contextual data, and adaptive interventions to personalize care across domains like substance use, mental health, and chronic disease. He also oversees PARCA, a digital platform supporting probation and reentry through behavioral reinforcement and AI-guided coaching. Jenkins collaborates with leading institutions (e.g., UCLA, WPI, RTI, GMU) and has secured NIH funding to translate research into real-world solutions. Known for combining scientific rigor with operational scalability, he has positioned Q2i as a national leader in digital behavioral health innovation.

Dr. Lindsay Smith is a Research Associate at George Mason University in the Schar School of Policy and Government. She works at the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence! (ACE!) under the direction of Dr. Faye Taxman and Dr. Danielle Rudes. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Missouri and her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology, Law, and Society from George Mason University. She studies criminal legal issues with an emphasis on social inequalities, physical and mental health disorders, and technological interventions. Her current research interests include testing mindfulness and exercise-based interventions, examining disability accommodations for justice-involved individuals, and exploring eating disorders among the incarcerated population. Dr. Smith has published in BMC Public Health, Social Science & Medicine – Mental Health, Health & Justice, and Aggression & Violent Behavior. She provides technical assistance to staff and supervisors of metropolitan and rural justice agencies and teaches Community Corrections and Crime Victims & Victimization to undergraduate students. Dr. Smith is also Mental Health First Aid certified

Faye S. Taxman, Ph.D., is a University Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She is a health service criminologist. She is recognized for her work in the development of seamless systems-of-care models that link the criminal justice system with other health care and other service delivery systems and reengineering probation and parole supervision services. She pioneered the development of translational tools to ease the implementation of research findings into practice such as the RNR Simulation Tool (www.gmuace.org/tools) to improve utilization of assessments in practice and treatment matching protocols and the Cascade of Care planning and system measures toolkit (https://www.jcoinctc.org/cascade-of-care). Dr. Taxman has published more than 230 articles and several books. She is the current Principal Investigator for the National Institute on Drug Abuse ‘s Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network (JCOIN) Coordination and Translation Center. She has a Ph.D. from Rutgers University’s School of Criminal Justice.