The authors of this paper discuss a quasi-experimental study that compared recidivism outcomes of probationers with mental illnesses who had been discharged from an enhanced day reporting center, with probationers matched by propensity score.
Offenders with mental illness (OMI) represent a significant portion of the community corrections population (e.g., probation, parole) for whom innovative interventions that target criminal recidivism must be assessed. This retrospective, quasi-experimental study compared recidivism outcomes of OMI probationers discharged from an enhanced day reporting center (DRC) with a comparable sample of probationers matched by propensity score (N = 227). Cox proportional hazard regressions demonstrated that participants of the DRC were significantly less likely to be reconvicted after discharge from the program, 2(2, N = 227) = 5.9, p = .02. Furthermore, DRC completers demonstrated a 40 percent reduction in risk of reconviction post-discharge compared to the matched sample. Publisher Abstract Provided