The Effect of the Interaction Between Risk-Related Factors and Rehabilitation Programs on recidivism in Israeli Prisons

• In Event: Risk Assessment: Tools, Models, and Implementation

Abstract

Studies in the area of effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in prison have generally based their analyses on a comparison of recidivism rates between program participants and nonparticipants. However, this analytical strategy fails to emphasize the variability in the ways that treatment may impact upon specific types of prisoners. This is particularly important in the context of evidence, that individual risk factors associated with criminal behavior may impact outcomes in employment, education and cognitive-behavioral based programs. What remains unknown is whether these risk-related factors “behave” in a similar manner when comparing treated prisoners in specific types of programs to their matched prisoners that received "treatment as usual." This paper presents preliminary findings from an ongoing study of prisoners in the Israeli prison service that includes an analysis that examines the effect of interactions between certain risk factors and prisoners rehabilitation programs on recidivism.

Author

• Noam Haviv, Hebrew University of Jerusalem