NCJ Number
214801
Journal
Criminology & Public Policy Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2006 Pages: 363-388
Date Published
May 2006
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This article presents the results of an outcome evaluation of a residential aftercare component provided to offenders graduating from the Quehanna Motivational Boot Camp in Quehanna, PA.
Abstract
As hypothesized, graduates from the Quehanna Motivational Boot Camp Program who received a 90-day residential aftercare program had significantly lower rearrest rates at 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year followup periods than those graduates who were assigned to parole as usual. Overall, graduates from the boot camp faired better in terms of criminal recidivism when provided with a residential aftercare component. Pennsylvania established the 6-month Motivational Boot Camp Program in Quehanna in 1990. The 90-day aftercare provision was intended to provide a structured reentry program that included a detailed prescriptive program for each inmate, a minimum of 3-months of residency in a structured, supervised residential facility, orientation to the community, involvement of families and the parole agent, cognitive behavior therapy, job readiness skills, job acquisition, and drug and alcohol followup service. Survival analysis was conducted to compare recidivism outcomes of a control group of 383 offenders, who graduated before the mandatory 90-day residential aftercare component was added, to an experimental group of 337 offenders, who graduated after the policy change. This article presents the results of the analysis. Tables, references, and appendixes A and B