Multi-site Evaluation of SVORI: Methodology and Analytic Approach

• NCJ Number: 230424
• Author(s): Pamela K. Lattimore; Danielle M. Steffey
• Date Published: December 2009
• Length: 446 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2004-RE-CX-0002
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Award: Multi-site Evaluation of the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative - Phase II

Annotation

This report documents the procedures used to identify and recruit sites and subjects for the Multi-site Evaluation of the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI), which was launched in 2003 for the development of programs intended to improve criminal justice, employment, education, health, and housing outcomes for serious and violent offenders released from incarceration.

Abstract

The evaluation recruited 16 SVORI programs in 14 States for inclusion in the impact analyses. The twelve adult and 4 juvenile programs included in the evaluation involved 1,697 adult males (863 SVORI participants and 834 comparison men), 357 adult females (119 SVORI participants and 131 nonparticipants), and 337 juvenile males (108 SVORI participants and 131 nonparticipants). Study participants had extensive criminal and substance-use histories, low levels of education and employment skills, and high levels of need across a range of services. The selected programs were diverse in approach and geographically distributed. Compared to the sites not selected for the evaluation, the selected sites had larger enrollments and were further along toward their full implementation. The evaluation involved interviews conducted 30 days prior to release and 3, 9, and 15 months after release. Data from State agencies and the National Criminal Information Center documented postrelease recidivism. Propensity score techniques were used to improve the comparability between the SVORI participants and nonparticipants. Weighted analyses examined the treatment effects of SVORI program participation in the areas of housing; employment; family, peer, and community involvement; substance use; physical and mental health; and criminal behavior and recidivism. 44 exhibits; 30 references; and appended evaluation protocols, data collection instruments, program descriptions, comparisons of participant and nonparticipant sites, and other evaluation forms and protocols