Allison Brookes

Allison Brookes has over 17 years of experience leading innovation and change in the criminal justice system. After working in community-based corrections for many years, Allison became a champion of implementation science in the state of Colorado by leading a large-scale, multi-agency effort to implement Motivational Interviewing. This collaborative effort involved community-based corrections, behavioral health centers, probation offices, prisons and parole offices statewide, engaging more than 1,000 practitioners in training, coaching and local communities of practice to implement new ways of working toward positive outcomes, together. This project was the first of its kind to introduce and formally apply the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) model to an entire state system and brought with it tremendous lessons, and practical insights that Allison brings to her work today with justice leaders implementing change initiatives. This complex and multi-dimensional implementation experience was a catalyst for Allison and ACJI to form as a team and an organization.

Allison knows that the principles of Implementation Science offer game changing tools for leaders in justice agencies to achieve socially significant outcomes and is a strong believer in strategies that involve co-elevating system players. Leveraging her experience leading teams in a progressive pretrial service agency, Allison specializes in complex implementation environments that require tackling wicked, often historical, adaptive challenges that get in the way of implementing transformational change. She contributed to the design of the Implementation Leadership Academy and is instrumental in designing and iterating thoughtful and strategic tools to help leaders and organizations do their best work.

As a Founding Member of the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation, she is involved in all ACJI projects from start to finish. She provides the personal touch to all of our projects and loves supporting agencies to do their best work. She is committed to ensuring that our work together gets you where you want to go. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Metropolitan State University.