The Impact of a Reentry and Aftercare Program on Recidivism

Bibliographic Data

ID10430486
AuthorsColin Cannonier (0000-0001-8884-5785, Belmont University, Nashville, TN, USA, corresponding author), Monica Galloway Burke (0000-0001-8118-1349, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, USA), Ed Mitchell (Belmont University, Nashville, TN, USA)
Year2020
Volume48
Issue1
Pages93-122
Publication date2020-12-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Review of Black Political Economy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0034-6446 • E-ISSN: 1936-4814
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0034644620973931
OpenAlexW3106824679
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited37

In this article, we explore the impact of a reentry and aftercare service program on the likelihood of returning to prison by ex-offenders. Using administrative data within a difference-in-differences design, we find that this social program is associated with a reduction in recidivism rates. Benchmark estimates show that the program was associated with estimated reductions in the probability of recidivating of 6.0 to 8.7 percentage points. The estimate appears to be economically significant as it implies an estimated treated effect in the 15.8% to 19.2% range. We consider the heterogeneous effects of the program on reducing recidivism according to race, age group, and program type. The program helped to reduce recidivism among Whites but not Blacks; older participants were the main beneficiaries while the effectiveness of the program was observed among older participants. Back-of-the-envelope cost-savings analysis is incorporated to estimate the potential savings to the state arising from the reduction in recidivism rates likely attributable to the program. The findings are robust to sample selection bias, alternative specifications, and estimation techniques. Our results offer some implications for the role of faith-based social programs within the context of criminal justice reform to combat reentry of former inmates. They also provide a cautionary tale about the need to evaluate programs not just based on their overall effect

Actuarial science · Context (archaeology · Criminal justice · Criminology · Economics · Estimation · Geography · Prison · Recidivism · Reentry · Advanced Causal Inference Techniques · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Psychology

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