“To make anything new happen, you have to open you mind to new perspectives,” said Paula Tokar, Assistant Sheriff, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In a report on what it takes to make lasting change in how America uses jails, her words emphasize the need to be open to new ideas and willing to adapt.
Lessons from 26 communities that worked to safely reduce jail populations, and interviews with 24 key changemakers across the U.S., like Paula Tokar, had strong themes about what leadership and structures are needed to implement and sustain transformation. The MacArthur-supported report distills seven essential skills for leaders—including being open to new perspectives, resilience and courage, and collation building—and five insights about what it takes to make change happen—including that transformation is not linear and relationship building is key to progress.
