NCJ Number
206911
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 29 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2004 Pages: 1-4
Editor(s)
Susan L. Clayton M.S.
Date Published
July 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents results from an outcome study of inmates from the New Jersey Department of Corrections evaluating the usefulness and fidelity of correctional treatment.
Abstract
National statistics show that two-thirds of the recidivism occurs within the first year of post-incarceration. This article illustrates the results of an outcome research project designed and implemented by researchers from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Corrections. This normative study was designed to evaluate select risk factors in a group similar to the treatment group. A list of inmates who were released in the year 2000 and completed the Community Education Centers’ (CEC) treatment program was forwarded to New Jersey DOC staff who randomly chose 177 offenders from a larger group of inmates and were designated the treatment group. To act as a control group or no-treatment group, 400 inmates were randomly chosen who were released from work camps during the year 2000. Rates of recidivism were gathered for both groups with the statistics for rearrests, reconvictions, and reincarcerations sent for analysis. In addition, rates of rearrest from both groups and rates of rearrest from a national study were compared. The results of the study indicate that effective correctional treatment impacts positively on reducing the risk of recidivism in terms of rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration during the first year post-incarceration. When compared with a same-State sample, the treatment (CEC) group had a significantly lower recidivism rate as reflected in fewer rearrests, reconvictions, and reincarcerations. In addition, the rates of rearrest for the CEC group were significantly lower than the national sample.