Immense pressure is being put on criminal justice agencies to adopt and implement evidence-based practices (EBP). Empirical evidence highlights the need for leadership support to make agencies more evidence-based. The current study is an empirical examination of how criminal justice leaders understand EBP and its correlates or predictors in the domains of agency characteristics, individual characteristics, and openness to research partnerships. Data were collected through a statewide survey of police chiefs and chief probation/parole officers in Pennsylvania. Using a multinomial logistic regression model and a binary logistic regression model, correlates and predictors of familiarity and accuracy with EBP were identified. About 32% had never heard of EBP, 27% were familiar with it but did not define it correctly, and 41% held some knowledge of it. Results showed that EBP training may have introduced EBPs to leaders, but it failed to teach them what EBP actually is, and their lack of knowledge of EBP may be contributing to their lack of participation in research partnerships. By providing recommendations based on findings related to EBP training and research partnerships, the current research contributes to the ongoing discussion regarding challenges associated with EBP implementation and acceptance of EBPs among criminal justice practitioners.

刑事司法机构在采用和实施循证实践（EBP）方面面临着巨大的压力。经验证据强调需要领导层的支持，以使各机构更加以证据为基础。当前的研究是对刑事司法领导者如何理解 EBP 及其在机构特征、个人特征和研究伙伴关系开放性领域的相关因素或预测因素的实证检验。数据是通过对宾夕法尼亚州警察局长和首席缓刑/假释官进行的全州范围调查收集的。使用多项逻辑回归模型和二元逻辑回归模型，确定了 EBP熟悉度和准确性的相关性和预测因素。大约 32% 的人从未听说过 EBP，27% 的人熟悉它但没有正确定义它，41% 的人对此有一些了解。结果表明，EBP 培训可能向领导者介绍了 EBP，但未能教会他们 EBP 的实际含义，而他们对 EBP 的缺乏了解可能导致他们缺乏参与研究合作伙伴关系。通过根据与 EBP 培训和研究伙伴关系相关的发现提供建议，当前的研究有助于不断讨论与 EBP 实施和刑事司法从业人员接受 EBP 相关的挑战。