Every year, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services’ Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) provides reentry services for thousands of people involved in the justice system. These services cover a wide variety of needs, ranging from employment services and skills training for individuals on adult felony probation to connections to community organizations that in turn provide, for example, guidance on enrolling in social services and programs in arts and entrepreneurship. ODR partners with other Los Angeles County agencies and community-based organizations to develop its services following the direction of evidence and data, but has yet to evaluate the impact of its reentry services on client outcomes, particularly in the areas of mental and behavioral health, reincarceration, financial stability, and well-being, among others.

MDRC and the Council of State Governments Justice Center are collaborating with ODR through the Los Angeles County Reentry Integrated Services Project (LA CRISP) to support ODR in strengthening and evaluating its system of reentry services for people involved in the justice system, including those on adult felony probation and those with mild or moderate mental health or substance use disorders.