The faculty at the Kennedy School at Harvard has developed a framework to help public-sector managers assess the potential of and actively pursue imagined public-sector initiatives. The framework is symbolized by a triangle. The three points of the triangle define particular calculations that managers must make in deciding whether an enterprise is worth pursuing. The first point of the triangle, "public value," reminds managers of the fact that they are responsible for producing things that are publicly valued. The second point of the triangle, "legitimacy and support," focuses managers' attention on gaining and sustaining enthusiasm from those who oversee their operations. The third point of the triangle, "operational capacity," focuses managerial attention on the issue of whether a particular initiative is operationally and administratively feasible. This article focuses on the political aspects of the issue of legitimacy and support as it pertains to innovation in criminal sanctions, specifically intermediate sanctions. The article discusses how to address public opinion about criminal sanctions, ways to gain favorable support for community corrections programs from legislators, and judicial and legal considerations in the strategic management of intermediate sanctions. In promoting innovation in intermediate sanctions, corrections administrators must accept accountability and measure their performance in ways valued by their overseers. Further, with the confidence built by embracing accountability, they must be willing to risk this with experiments and innovations. 14 references