Federal Initiatives Seek to Reduce Recidivism Rates

• NCJ Number: 244916
• Author(s): Doris Wells; Jolene Hernon
• Date Published: October 2013
• Length: 3 pages
• Corporate Author: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Reprinted with permission of the American Correctional Association, Corrections Today, September/October 2013

Annotation

This report briefly discusses two Federal initiatives aimed at reducing recidivism.

Abstract

This report briefly discusses two Federal initiatives aimed at reducing recidivism among offenders: the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) and the Second Chance Act (SCA). While initial analysis of SVORI found that it had little impact on recidivism rates, subsequent studies revealed that participation in SVORI programs was associated with longer times before rearrest and fewer arrests after release. Analysis of the SCA was begun in 2010 and is ongoing. The goal of the evaluation is to compare recidivism rates for offenders both during and after their participation in reentry court programs. Interim results from the evaluation were to be available by late summer 2013, with final evaluation results due in fall 2014 and spring 2015. The report also briefly mentions two other programs aimed at reducing recidivism: Evaluation of Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) and assessing offenders' risk of recidivism with the use of statistical models.