Evaluation of the Second Chance Act Reentry Courts

This grant will support a multi-site evaluation of the State, Tribal, and Local Reentry Courts Program funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in FY2010 under the Second Chance Act of 2007. A process evaluation will document and compare program models and implementation. Pending an evaluability assessment, an impact evaluation will examine rearrests, reconvictions, violations, and returns to incarceration using pre/post archival data. Prospective interviews will be administered at baseline and 12-month followup to program and comparison groups in selected sites. Cost-benefit analyses will calculate avoided public costs comparing program interventions to "business as usual" conditions. Work products include annual site assessments, reports and data documenting the prospective interview, archival recidivism, and cost-benefit studies with information relevant to reentry court stakeholders. ca/ncf