Abstract
Federal funding efforts have increased the number of reentry programs over the past decade with corresponding evaluations of these initiatives. Reentry programming targets a wide range of offenders though most have focused on medium and high-risk individuals with substance abuse and/or mental health disorders. This research note provides a profile overview of two programs in central Ohio funded by the Second Chance Act and offers a summary of process and outcome evaluation findings from both initiatives. Results from a mixed methods research design suggested that the programs were largely successful in terms of reducing recidivism among participants, though issues related to programmatic fidelity were also identified. While these programs pre-date more current offender intervention efforts, such as the Justice Mental Health Collaboration Program, identified barriers to program success reaffirm the saliency of longstanding problems embedded in and challenged by correctional and police culture.
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Acknowledgements
This project was sponsored by Grants Nos. 2011-RW-BX-0008 and 2011-RN-BX0004 awarded by the US Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the Delaware County (OH) Sheriff’s Office or the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Mitchell Miller, J., Barnes, J.C. & Miller, H.V. Profile of Two Second Chance Act Offender Treatment Initiatives: A Research Note. Am J Crim Just 42, 759–767 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-017-9405-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-017-9405-7