The Building Block Program Model Report
An Implementation Roadmap for Peer Education
Prepared by:
The Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation
In conjunction with Justice Research Associates
For:
Danville Correctional Center
Illinois Department of Corrections
Purpose
The purpose of this report is to describe the program practices and implementation process of the peer-led Building Block Program at Danville Correctional Center in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Over the course of the planning, implementation, and scaling of the program model, Building Block underwent significant challenges from a global pandemic with a major impact on program and facility operations to staff shortages and leadership changes. This report is designed to illuminate the learning from the implementation process, describe challenges, highlight strengths, and inform implementation best practices for other institutions considering peer-led programs.
With the support of the Second Church of Christ, the Building Block founders, Peer Educators, participants, former and current Danville staff, and administration shared their stories and experiences regarding the promising and best practices of the Building Block Program and their application to broader efforts to implement peer-led programs. This report provides recommendations and serves as a roadmap for the future of a sustainable Building Block Program at Danville, as guidance for program replication, and as a tool for other emerging models to consider when developing or scaling peer programs.