NCJ Number
153265
Date Published
1992
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This report describes the Illinois' Impact Incarceration Program (IIP) as of October 1992, along with participant characteristics and recidivism.
Abstract
The IIP, located at Dixon Springs in the Shawnee National Forest, is a prison alternative for first-time prison offenders under the age of 30. This intervention program is designed to stimulate lawful behavior in youthful offenders by providing a structured program that develops responsibility and positive self-concept, while also addressing the underlying issues that often lead to criminal behavior and substance abuse. IIP promotes public safety through risk management by using rigid selection criteria. It reduces the demand for prison bed space by shortening time to serve for successful participants, thus conserving more prison beds for the serious repeat offender. Judges have referred 3,051 offenders to the IIP. Of this number, 1,636 have been admitted to the program. The IIP has been operating at full capacity since January 1991. There are 223 inmates awaiting transfer to the program. Sixty-four percent (899 inmates) of all program participants have graduated from the program. Of those graduates who have been released for more than a year, 5 percent have returned to prison with a new felony offense compared to an expected recidivism rate of 12 percent. Since the IIP was implemented in October 1990, an estimated $2,532,890 have been saved due to the shorter prison stay of the participants. The program has helped to alleviate the prison crowding problem by accelerating the release of these inmates from prison upon their successful completion of the program. In addition to providing a profile of the offenders who have been recommended for the IIP, this report presents a description of inmate activities prior to entry into the program, cost comparisons, and postprogram performance. 5 figures, 2 tables, and appended supplementary data