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Data-Driven Strategic Planning: Using the Science of Implementation to Identify and Address Barriers to Effective Supervision
SESSION INFO
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Session Type: Workshop
Most organizations create strategic plans to satisfy agency mandates. However, meaningful strategic plans are driven by data and address the contextual factors that could impede the effective delivery of programs. In this session, we discuss how the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) leverages research findings to inform its strategic plan. Additionally, we describe how DCS uses implementation science to translate research-informed strategies into real-world settings. For example, research shows that officer-level factors, such as stress, may reduce the quality of interactions. When stressed, officers tend to be more directive and less understanding of people’s circumstances. For this reason, we are evaluating the relationship between officer stress and our Enhanced Supervision Program (ESP), an evidence-based set of communication techniques. During this workshop, we present preliminary findings indicating that increased officer stress is associated with decreased use of ESP skills. Implications of the findings will be discussed.
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SESSION PRESENTERS
Bria Cross
Research Project Consultant, GA Department of Community Supervision
Bria Cross is the Strategic Planning & Analysis Research Specialist for the Georgia Department of Community Supervision. Ms. Cross is currently a Doctoral Candidate of Political Science and Policy at Clark Atlanta University. Ms. Cross's primary research areas include public policy, community supervision, reentry, and theory. Ms. Cross studies how research informs strategy, practice, and policy within criminal justice agencies while bridging the gap between academia and practice. Ms. Cross is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgia State University and P.O.S.T Certified Instructor. She has published on several areas related to active shooter training, the policing/judicial system in Canada, and cybersecurity.
Dr. Nicholas Powell
Director of Strategic Planning & Analysis, GA Department of Community Supervision
Dr. Nicholas Powell has built a distinguished career dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system and understanding the social factors that drive crime. Beginning as a Juvenile Probation Officer and now serving as the Director of Strategic Planning & Analysis for the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Dr. Powell has developed a deep, evidence-based approach to improving outcomes across the justice continuum. He is also a Criminal Justice Professor at Georgia Southern University and a P.O.S.T. Certified Instructor. Dr. Powell’s research sheds light on the intersections between legal system involvement—such as probation, parole, and incarceration—and critical issues like addiction, homelessness, and mental health. As an affiliate of the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation (ACJI), Dr. Powell brings the science of implementation and leadership into his strategic planning and facilitation work, equipping organizations to achieve meaningful and sustainable change.
Dr. Tonya Van Deinse, PhD
Research Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Tonya B. Van Deinse is a research associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work in the United States. Dr. Van Deinse and her research team, the Health Interventions in the Legal System Lab, focus on the development, implementation, and evaluation of complex and inter-organizational interventions that span systems, particularly the behavioral health and criminal justice systems. Dr. Van Deinse started her work in mental health more than 20 years ago in private residential treatment with adults with severe mental illnesses and then later worked in the public mental health system where she began to work with adults in the criminal justice system. Today, Dr. Van Deinse uses implementation science methods to design, implement, and evaluate programs at the interface of behavioral health and legal systems.
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