Evaluation of the Allegheny County (PA) Jail Collaborative Reentry Programs

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

Abstract

Drawing on funding from the Second Chance Act, Allegheny County (PA) launched two reentry programs designed to reduce recidivism and improve inmates’ transition to the community. The first of these programs utilizes a reentry specialist who coordinates inmate-client services both in jail and the community. The second program connects offenders to designated reentry probation officers prior to release, who then engage offenders in pre-release reentry planning and supervise them in the community post-release. Both programs attempt to reduce re-offending through the use of risk/needs assessment, coordinated reentry planning, and use of evidence-based programs and practices. In 2012, the Urban Institute began process and outcome evaluations of both programs to answer critical questions about program performance and effectiveness. The process evaluation examined program fidelity and alignment with core correctional practices. The outcome evaluation drew on administrative data to measure criminal justice outcomes, specifically re-arrest, for reentry program participants and two comparison groups of offenders identified through propensity score matching techniques (total N=798). The evaluation’s key findings are presented and implications discussed.

Authors

• Samuel Bieler, Urban Institute

• Janeen Buck Willison, Urban Institute