Successful offender reentry program in San Diego

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) recently released its third annual report on the San Diego Prisoner Reentry Program.

The key program components are based on best practices and include conducting screenings and assessments and providing case management and services to meet identified needs.

The report describes the program implementation, outlines the research methodology, and presents preliminary findings from the process and impact evaluation.

Thus far the process evaluation has revealed the following: good communication and strong collaboration has been the key to successful program implementation, participants’ needs were assessed within the expected timeframe, over three‐quarters (78%) of the treatment group participated in programming while in prison and over two‐thirds (69%) received services in the community during the six months following prison release.

Key findings from the impact evaluation included: treatment group participants were significantly less likely than the comparison group to be returned to prison within the first six months of community reentry, treatment group participants were five times more likely to be employed six months post‐release compared to the comparison group, employed individuals were less likely to have a new arrest within 6 months of release, and preliminary data suggest that program participation reduced substance use and improves social supports, housing, and employment.

The report, Improving Reentry for Ex-Offenders in San Diego County: Third Annual Evaluation Report, is available at:

http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1488_11261.pdf

Source: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/evaluation/e-news/july10.pdf