Texas A&M University’s Public Policy Research Institute recently released its findings on recidivism, the rate of people who are arrested a second time after serving their initial sentence. The program began in 2020, and its principal investigator is Texas A&M’s Dr. George Naufal.
Before the program, emerging adults, defined as those between the 17 and 24 years old, showed recidivism of over 75 percent within three years. Compared to the control, group participants were 48 percent less likely to be arrested, spent 36 fewer days in jail and were 61 percent less likely to face felony charges, with the first 200 days of program participation being a critical period for establishing success.
The program created an individualized care plan for participants, who then had up to 18 months to implement their plan. Each person’s plan was split into three phases with the enrollee active in the creation of their own plan, and included regular check ins with the case team and other enrollees. Upon completion of the program, their records were expunged.
PPRI’s findings used a randomized control trial, qualitative interviews and cost-benefit analysis. They estimated a cost of approximately $10,000 per participant, offset by reduced jail days, lower supervision costs and fewer arrests. Cost projections indicated net savings of $1,000 to $2,000 per participant annually, and the non-monetary benefits of saved lives, reduced trauma and positive intergenerational effects.
This work was sponsored by Systems for Action research program housed in the Colorado School of Public Health’s Department of Health Systems, Management & Policy.