Evaluations of County-wide Reentry Programs in one Midwestern state: Explaining Variation in Outcome

• In Event: Critical Issues in the Evaluation of Reentry Programs

Abstract

Evaluations of reentry programs at the state, county, and local levels have shown that outcomes vary widely across programs. Variation in program characteristics, as well as in the characteristics of returning offenders who participate in reentry programs, have been linked to variation in reentry outcomes in terms of offender completion rates and recidivism post-program. Data from a recently completed study of six county-level reentry programs spread across one Midwestern state will be used to examine two main research questions. First, analyses will be conducted concerning which offender characteristics (e.g., risk level, age, gender) are important in predicting successful completion of the program and recidivism after program completion. Second, program-level characteristics (e.g., types of services offered and program structure) correlated with the same outcome indicators will also be presented. Examining both offender and program level characteristics allows for specific policy recommendations on the selection criteria and program elements linked to successful outcomes.

Author

• Lia Gormsen, University of Cincinnati