This review examines Hans Toch’s “Organizational change through individual empowerment: Applying social psychology in prisons and policing” and discusses important lessons for today’s change-makers. Toch reflects on some of the most formative moments of his career at the intersection of social psychology research and criminal justice reform through powerful illustrations of people’s ability to change themselves, and sometimes, the institutions they inhabit. Toch’s human-centered approach to research and culture change is evident in every story, shining a light on much needed values, principles, and questions for the current era of criminal justice reform.
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