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Session Title: Crime and Justice TIG Business Meeting and Presentation: Evaluations of Recidivism Reduction Programs
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Business Meeting with Panel Session 460 to be held in the Granite Room Section A on Thursday, Nov 6, 6:10 PM to 7:00 PM
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Sponsored by the Crime and Justice TIG
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| TIG Leader(s):
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Roger Przybylski,
RKC Group,
rogerkp@comcast.net
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| Chair(s): |
| Roger Przybylski,
RKC Group,
rogerkp@comcast.net
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| Abstract:
Given the unprecedented number of people returning from prison to the community, recidivism reduction is one of the most important challenges facing the criminal justice system today. This panel presents information from several evaluation studies of recidivism reduction programs designed for general and special offender populations.
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Evidence on What Works to Reduce Recidivism
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| Roger Przybylski,
RKC Group,
rogerkp@comcast.net
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This paper is based on the presenter's 2008 publication titled What Works, Effective Recidivism Reduction and Risk-Focused Prevention Programs: A Compendium of Evidence-Based Options for Preventing New and Persistent Criminal Behavior. The paper discusses what works to reduce recidivism and how effective interventions were identified.
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Short Term Intensive Residential Remediation Treatment (STIRRT) Evaluation
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| Christine Shea Adams,
Colorado Division of Criminal Justice,
christine.adams@cdps.state.co.us
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In 2007, the governor of Colorado embarked on a 'recidivism reduction plan' to control the cost of incarceration, in part by targeting community treatment resources to substance-addicted offenders. The policy strategy included a mandate to evaluate the initiative. To this end, the Division of Criminal Justice is working with the Colorado Department of Human Services' Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division and other stakeholders to evaluate the four Short Term Intensive Residential Remediation Treatment (STIRRT) programs. These programs consist of 14 days of intensive residential treatment followed by 8-9 months of continuing care in the community. This process and outcome evaluation will determine if this population's recidivism rate is reduced by STIRRT participation, ultimately contributing to an overall assessment of the governor's crime control strategy.
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Process and Outcome Evaluation of a Colorado Re-entry Program for Persons with Mental Illness
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| Diane Pasini Hill,
Colorado Division of Criminal Justice,
diane.pasini-hill@cdps.state.co.us
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The John Eachon Re-Entry Program (JERP) serves dually diagnosed men returning to the community from prison and living in a corrections halfway house. The program began in November 2005 and recently received funding from the General Assembly because expansion of community-based re-entry programming for offenders with mental illness was a priority of the governor. The 15-bed program involves a unique collaboration of five agencies; staff from three of these agencies have offices on-site. This collaboration provides 'one-stop-shop' services for the offenders, including psychiatric services, individual and group therapy, case management, medication management, parole supervision, and employment/educational programming. During interviews, offenders report that this format is key to their success.
Additional findings from the evaluation include implications for policymakers, such as the need for establishing case referral procedures at the outset, and developing written policies and procedures early in program development, particularly as they pertain to interagency agreements.
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Colorado Sex Offender Risk Scale (CSORS): Nine Year Follow-Up
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| Linda Harrison,
Colorado Division of Criminal Justice,
linda.harrison@cdps.state.co.us
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The CSORS is one component in the identification of sexually violent predators in Colorado. Earlier studies found that this scale predicted treatment or supervision failure. After nine years, this scale was found to accurately delineate sex offenders presenting a greater risk to public safety from those who present a lesser level of dangerousness.
Almost half (46.4 percent) of the cohort were rearrested after five years. Violent arrests occurred at a rate of 12.7 percent, while 24.8 percent were arrested for a new sex crime within five years. Those who had failed treatment and supervision were 7.3 times as likely to be arrested for a violent crime. Additionally, the high-risk offenders were almost 3 times as likely to be arrested for a violent crime as offenders classified as lower-risk. Survival analysis was used to compare time to new violent arrest for high-risk to lower-risk offenders over nine years. Individuals in the lower-risk group remained arrest-free for significantly longer periods of time than did those in the high-risk group.
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