What Have We Learned From Evaluations of Reentry Programs?

Evaluations of reentry programs provide evidence that some programs reduce recidivism and improve offenders' success in transitioning back to the community. For example, vocational training and work programs appear to reduce recidivism by improving job skills, and drug rehabilitation and halfway house programs can help to ease the transition from prison to the community.

Reentry courts are still fairly new and studies that have been conducted are mainly program implementation evaluations. These evaluations suggest the importance of the following elements in reentry programs:

Providing incentives for program participation helps to increase the number of offenders who volunteer for reentry programs.
Beginning services while the offender is still in custody helps to improve the continuity of service delivery.
Providing rewards for completing specific phases of the program improves offender morale and motivation to complete the entire program.
Coordination among probation and parole agencies, service providers, and other community agencies that work with the offender and his/her family helps to insure offender access to services and to reduce replication and overlap of services.
Programs should seek to identify the specific needs of each offender and should engage the offender's family in responding to these needs.

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