Second Chance Act Demonstration Field Experiment: Fostering Desistance through Effective Supervision

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The Second Chance Act (SCA) of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. There are currently over 2.3 million individuals serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through local jails every year. Ninety-five percent of all offenders incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. The Second Chance Act helps to ensure that the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety. As part of a collaborative effort with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), BJA seeks proposals to implement and rigorously test important criminal justice interventions and programs as part of a multi-site Demonstration Field Experiment (DFE) on prisoner reentry. The tested intervention will address motivation to change as well as criminal thinking, two areas that we need more scientific information. In addition, parole officers and service providers will work collaboratively to improve delivery of the DFE intervention. The DFE will use a randomized controlled trial research method. This multi-site DFE is part of BJA’s reentry activities supported with funding under the SCA. One purpose of the SCA is to generate new evidence about effective solutions for reducing recidivism among the increasing number of people who are released from jail and prison to communities as well as the subsequent challenges communities face as offenders reintegrate into society.

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