Experimental Evaluation of the Bureau of Justice Assistance Second Chance Act Adult Demonstration Projects

The proposed evaluation of the Second Chance Act (SCA) adult offender reentry demonstration projects will include three components: an impact evaluation, an implementation study, and a cost-effectiveness analysis. The impact evaluation will include a randomized controlled trial at seven sites. Supplemental data will be collected from states Department of Corrections on arrests, convictions, and incarceration. The impact analysis will make use of a range of statistical tests and methods, including simple t-tests for differences in means and multivariate methods to be used in generating regression-adjusted impact estimates. An implementation study will complement the impact study by providing important evidence on how the SCA programs operated, including what partnerships they formed, how their programs were administered and managed, and what services were provided. A cost effectiveness analysis will shed further light on the SCA initiative by relating program costs to outcomes achieved.
Supplemental funds have been provided to allow the completion of two additional tasks for the SCA evaluation. First, funds will be used to extend the current follow-up period for the sample of participants in the evaluation from 6 to 12 months post-release. The extension of the follow-up period will allow the grantee to determine 1-year recidivism rates for the sample. Second, funds will be used to collect administrative data for all participants served by the seven SCA grantees, including the grantees served in their first year of funding.ca/ncf