Evaluation of the Multi-Site Demonstration Field Experiment: What Works in Reentry Research (DFE)

MDRC/George Mason University (GMU) were selected by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct the Evaluation of the Multi-site Demonstration Field Experiment: What Works in Reentry Reentry Research (SCA DFE) project in 2010. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is funding the programs that will be evaluated. The National Institute of Corrections (NIC), with funding from BJA, is developing the interventions and training parole officers and service providers to deliver them. MDRC/GMU is requesting funding to support the evaluation activities for the SCA DFE in the amount of $1,506,566. The SCA DFE is targeting individuals who were recently released from prison. The evaluation is using a random assignment design to compare the outcomes of offenders in three conditions: 1) standard supervision; 2) officer training in science-based supervision strategies (called Next Generation, or NG); and 3) officer training in NG, plus Motivational Enhancement Therapy-Thinking for a Change (MET-T4C), a cognitive behavioral program for offenders. The project will operate in three sites, in Colorado, Iowa, and Texas. The study will target moderate and high risk men, age 18 or older, who are recently released from prison to parole supervision, have at least 12 months remaining on parole, served at least 6 months of incarceration for the presenting offense, and who are not on a specialized parole caseload and do not have a serious mental health or substance abuse problem. Each site will enroll 500 parolees into the study. The evaluation team will follow all three groups of parolees and assess impacts for one year using a combination of participant surveys and administrative data to measure recidivism, desistance, and other intermediate outcomes. The evaluation will begin with a brief pilot study prior to beginning the formal RCT. The evaluation includes a process study, ongoing fidelity monitoring, and an impact analysis. The analysis will pool data from all three sites to measure program impacts. The study will also assess whether the interventions have different impacts for different types of offenders. NIC training will occur in late 2014. The three month pilot period will begin in January 2015 and formal study enrollment will begin in April 2015. A final published report on all study findings will be completed in 2018. Additional funding is needed in order to complete the project due to significant delays in site selection and intervention development, and changes in the design of the project. nca/ncf