Roca, Inc. delivers services to young men between the ages of 16 and 25 who are involved in the justice system and who are at a high risk of being incarcerated or reincarcerated. Roca uses a cognitive behavioral intervention model that aims to create behavioral change in such young men. Its four-year program starts with two years of intensive interaction with a young man to gradually promote behavior changes and engagement in the program, followed by two years focused on sustaining the positive changes in behavior achieved in the first two. The model’s ultimate goals are to reduce participants’ incarceration rates and increase their ability to retain employment.

Roca has been serving young men in the Massachusetts area for over 20 years. In 2018, it launched a replication program in Baltimore that will be the focus of MDRC’s evaluation. MDRC will conduct an implementation study and an outcome analysis. The research team will study the program’s implementation to understand how the program operates on the ground, how it has been adapted from the Massachusetts program, and how participants experience it. The team will also analyze the content and frequency of the services delivered. Finally, the research team will study participants’ outcomes in employment, criminal justice, and in-program achievements.