Change Talk Blog

Digital programming in community corrections: How to avoid 5 common pitfalls

Written by The Change Companies | August 29, 2025

Digital tools can offer structured programming for clients without requiring additional hours from staff, making them a great option for agencies facing growing pressure and limited resources. These tools can help clients build skills, stay on track and use their time productively — but challenges with adoption, distribution or integration can limit their effectiveness and longevity. The good news is, there are steps community corrections agencies can take to ensure  seamless adoption for clients and staff.

Taking the right approach with digital tools

Common challenges — and how to prepare for and solve them

Challenge #1. Choosing tools without clear goals
Sometimes agencies like the idea of digital programming, but aren’t sure of the specific outcomes they want. This can lead to choosing a tool that isn’t the right fit.

  • Solution: Decide up front: Are you trying to keep clients engaged between check-ins? Save staff time on documentation and planning? Address risk-need-responsivity? Track key metrics? Setting key goals first makes it easier to choose the best platform for your needs.

Challenge #2. Privacy and security risks
Programming often involves sensitive information, like personal history, treatment goals and need areas. If a system doesn’t protect that data, agencies face big risks.

  • Solution: Only select tools that follow strict privacy standards for justice and health data. Make sure contracts spell out who owns the data and how it can be shared.

Challenge #3. Hard-to-use systems
If a program is confusing or inaccessible, clients won’t finish it. If staff can’t see progress easily, they won’t assign it.

  • Solution: Ask for demos and have staff — and clients — test the tool. Look for easy-to-navigate designs, accessible language and thorough reporting for staff.

Challenge #4. The digital divide
Not every client has at-home internet access, a reliable device or strong reading skills. Programs that only work on desktop or require high literacy can leave people out.

  • Solution: Pick tools that can run on agency-issued tablets or kiosks. Refer participants to libraries or other spaces with free internet. Choose programs written for a lower reading level that also offer accessibility features like audio and video. Another consideration is programming availability in multiple languages.

Challenge #5. Lack of clear measurement
It can be easy to assign digital programming, but harder to prove it works. Without clear data, leadership may not support continued use, and funding may be put at risk.

  • Solution: Define success measures before starting — engagement rates, reductions in missed appointments, fewer technical violations, etc. Track these metrics consistently, and choose a tool with built-in measurement tools to make staff’s jobs easier.

A change-management playbook

Technology adoption isn’t just about the software — it’s about how people use it. Here’s a simple playbook to guide adoption of digital programming in community corrections.

Step 1: Select with purpose

  • Build a small team that includes leadership, staff, IT and client voices.

  • Focus on outcomes, not features. For example: “We want 20% more clients to complete a cognitive-behavioral course.”

  • Ensure tools are designed for corrections, not just generic e-learning.

Step 2: Deploy with care

  • Start with a pilot. Assign the program to a small group and track results.

  • Train staff on how to assign and review modules. Provide simple job aids, like platform tutorials or QR codes for easy app downloads.

  • Communicate clearly with clients; explain why digital programming is part of their plan and how it benefits them.

  • Choose a platform provider who will partner with you through each step of the process.

Step 3: Maintain over time

  • Form a monthly check-in group to review adoption, troubleshoot and plan updates.

  • Keep policies up to date, especially around privacy, consent and device use.

  • Refresh training so new staff know how to use the program from day one.

Step 4: Measure what matters

Choose a handful of clear measures:

  • Percent of clients who finish assignments

  • Change in technical violations

  • Staff time saved

  • Client feedback on usefulness

Share results with leadership, staff and clients to build trust and momentum.

One example of a digital programming tool designed for corrections is Atlas from The Change Companies. Atlas offers evidence-based Interactive Journals that clients can complete on a phone, tablet or computer. The content is built around proven approaches — motivational interviewing, stages of change and cognitive-behavioral strategies — presented in short, engaging modules designed for reflection and behavior change. 

  • Flexible delivery: Clients can engage at their own pace, anytime, without needing extra staffing.
  • Engaging, accessible content: Journals are written at an accessible reading level and offer video and audio features to support and engage different learning styles.
  • Easy tracking: Staff can easily track progress and completion data, without extra paperwork.
  • Scalable: Effective for any number of group-based or self-guided clients.

Atlas gives clients a way to practice skills, explore change and reflect on choices between meetings with staff. For busy agencies, this can make programming more consistent and equitable, even when resources are stretched thin.

 

Bringing it all together

Digital programming tools can bring big benefits for community corrections agencies: more consistent client engagement, better use of staff time and measurable outcomes. 

Agencies that succeed with digital tools take a structured approach. 

  1. They define their goals before buying.
  2. They involve staff and clients in testing.
  3. They start with manageable, time-limited pilots.
  4. They plan for privacy, equity and long-term funding.
  5. They measure results and share them widely.

The right digital tools strengthen and extend services. Clients gain more opportunities to learn and reflect, staff gain tools to reinforce change and agencies gain proof they are meeting their mission more effectively.

 

 
 
 
 
Person-centered, individualized skill-building resources are key to guiding clients toward successful outcomes in recovery. Our digital intervention platform, Atlas, can help. Atlas delivers hundreds of topics related to addiction treatment, coping skills, and trauma education, allowing staff to tailor treatment to meet individual needs.
 
 
Provide your information below for a complete overview of Atlas for your setting.
 
 
View full post