Issues: Criminal and Juvenile Justice

Corrections and Reentry

Hundreds of thousands of people released from prisons and jails each year face daunting obstacles to successful reentry into their communities. MDRC is testing a range of interventions designed to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for those leaving incarceration.

The Latest

Brief

Effectiveness of Pretrial Special Conditions

Many jurisdictions use electronic monitoring (the use of electronic devices to monitor people’s locations) and sobriety monitoring (drug and alcohol testing) as alternatives to pretrial detention. Drawing on nonexperimental analyses, this brief reports that neither form of monitoring improves court appearance rates or the avoidance of new arrests.

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Brief

Effectiveness of Varying Intensities of Pretrial Supervision

In place of bail, many jurisdictions are instead releasing people awaiting trial with varying levels of supervision in an effort to ensure that they appear in court and avoid new arrests. This brief compares the relative effectiveness of different intensities of pretrial supervision.

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Key Documents

Report

More Than a Job

Final Results from the Evaluation of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Transitional Jobs Program

Ex-prisoners who had access to CEO’s transitional jobs program were less likely to be convicted of a crime and reincarcerated. The effects were particularly large for those ex-prisoners who enrolled in the program shortly after release. The recidivism reductions mean that the program is cost-effective — generating more in savings than it cost.

Returning to Work After Prison

Final Results from the Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration

Transitional jobs programs in four Midwestern cities substantially increased short-term employment by providing jobs to many ex-prisoners who would not otherwise have worked. However, the gains faded as men left the transitional jobs, and the programs did not increase unsubsidized employment nor did they reduce recidivism.

Evaluation of the Re-Integration of Ex-Offenders (RExO) Program

Two-Year Impact Report

RExO increased the number and types of services received by participants and improved their self-reported labor market outcomes as well. But there is little evidence it had any impacts on recidivism or other outcomes. Further, the impacts on employment, while statistically significant, are quite small in practical terms.

Returning Citizens Stimulus Study Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Financial Incentives Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes	Los Angeles County Reentry Integrated Services Project Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Case Management, Behavioral Interventions, Employment Services Locations: California	Pretrial Justice Collaborative Focus Area: Pretrial Justice Corrections and Reentry Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Young Adults
Applied Behavioral Coalition (ABC) Focus Area: Child Care and Early Education High School Two-Generation Programs Corrections and Reentry Health Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Children and Schools Intervention: Transitional Jobs/Subsidized Employment, Case Management, Career & Technical Education, Behavioral Interventions, Employment Services	MDRC Center for Criminal Justice Research Focus Area: Pretrial Justice Corrections and Reentry Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Young Adults	The Subsidized and Transitional Employment Demonstration (STED) Project Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Transitional Jobs/Subsidized Employment

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Employment (CBE-Emp) Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Employment Services Locations: New York	Changing Attitudes and Motivation in Parolees (CHAMPS) Evaluation Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Locations: Colorado, Iowa, Texas	Social Impact Bond Project at Rikers Island Focus Area: Youth and Juvenile Justice Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Corrections and Reentry Population: Young Adults Intervention: Residential Youth Programs, Classroom Services, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Locations: New York
Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Transitional Jobs/Subsidized Employment Locations: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin	Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Random Assignment Evaluation Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Employment Services	The Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Transitional Jobs/Subsidized Employment Locations: California, Georgia, Indiana, New York, Texas, Wisconsin
Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ Focus Area: Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Corrections and Reentry Health Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Telephonic Services, Transitional Jobs/Subsidized Employment, Case Management, Employment Services Locations: Kansas, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island

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