Two-Year Outcomes of a Community-Based Reentry Program, the Safer Return Demonstration Project

• In Event: Reentry Research: Findings and Implications from Four Studies

Abstract

The Safer Return Demonstration Project was implemented in the Garfield Park community of Chicago from 2008 through 2012. It provided prerelease and postrelease services to 727 persons released from the Illinois Department of Corrections to the Garfield Park community. To address formerly incarcerated persons’ key reentry risks and needs, program participants were eligible to receive exit/welcome home orientations, family-inclusive case management, mentoring, job readiness preparation and training, temporary/transitional jobs in the community, and employment referrals and placements. This paper presents findings from the Urban Institute’s impact and cost evaluation. These findings are culled from 1) administrative employment and reincarceration records furnished by the Illinois Department of Corrections for approximately 7,000 individuals: Safer Return participants, other formerly incarcerated persons returning to Garfield Park, and formerly incarcerated persons returning to a comparison community (West Englewood); 2) two waves of surveys administered to a subset of Safer Return participants, formerly incarcerated persons returning to a comparison community (West Englewood), and their family members (N’s range from 200-350 depending on wave and survey type); and three waves of surveys taken in the communities of Garfield Park and West Englewood (almost 1,300 total). This paper discusses the implications of the findings for public resource allocation.

Authors

• Jocelyn Fontaine, Urban Institute

• Shelli Rossman, Urban Institute

• Justin Breaux, Urban Institute

• Sam Taxy, Urban Institute