Profile of Two Second Chance Act Offender Treatment Initiatives: A Research Note American Journal of Criminal Justice

• NCJ Number: 252544
• Journal: Journal of Criminal JusticeAmerican Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Dated: 2018 Pages: 759-767
• Author(s): J. Mitchell Miller; J. C. Barnes; Holly Ventura Miller
• Date Published: 2017
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2011-RW-BX-0008, 2011-RN-BX-0004
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Evaluation; Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This research note provides a profile overview of two programs in central Ohio funded by the Second Chance Act and summarizes process and outcome evaluation findings from both initiatives.

Abstract

Federal funding efforts have increased the number of reentry programs over the past decade, with corresponding evaluations of these initiatives. Reentry programming targets a wide range of offenders; however, most have focused on medium and high-risk individuals with substance abuse and/or mental health disorders. Results from the current study, which used a mixed methods research design, indicate that the programs were largely successful in terms of reducing recidivism among participants; however, some issues related to programmatic fidelity were also identified. Although these programs pre-date more current offender intervention efforts, such as the Justice Mental Health Collaboration Program, identified barriers to program success reaffirm the saliency of longstanding problems embedded in and challenged by correctional and police culture. (publisher abstract modified)