An Analysis of New Jersey's Day Reporting Center and Halfway Back Programs: Embracing the Rehabilitative Ideal Through Evidence Based Practices

Day Reporting Center and Recidivism: Comparing Offender Groups in a Western Pennsylvania County Study

“…As a general trend within the extant literature, other studies report similar ''successes'' in relationship to either costÀbenefit analyses and=or some measure of recidivism (Diggs & Pieper, 1994;Martin, Lurigio, & Olson, 2003;Ostermann, 2009;Solomon, 2009;Van Vleet et al, 2006). Craddock (2000Craddock ( , 2004 has reported on both the effectiveness, in terms of rearrest, and the costÀsavings benefits of DRC programs.…”

“…Like other intermediate punishment initiatives such as house arrest and intensive supervision, the DRC model is designed to fill a gap between the security of imprisonment and the relative lack of supervision afforded to probationers (Diggs, n.d.;Diggs & Pieper, 1994). Recent studies have investigated the efficacy of these programs along various parameters, including rehabilitation principles (Ostermann, 2009), client outcomes (Craddock, 2000), recidivism (Craddock & Graham, 2001) and other evaluative criteria (Jones & Lacy, 1999;Van Vleet, Hickert, & Becker, 2006).…”

Work Release as a Transition: Positioning Success Via the Halfway House

“…Overall, HWHs have been effective in reentry practice (Austin, 2001;MacKenzie, 2000;Seiter & Kadela, 2003;Marion, 2002;Zhang, Roberts, & Callanan, 2006a, 2006b. HWH programs that adhere to the tenets of the RNR model have been especially effective (Clear & Schrantz, 2011;Bouffard, MacKenzie, & Hickman, 2000;Lowenkamp & Latessa, 2005;Lowenkamp, Latessa, & Smith, 2006;Ostermann, 2009;Taxman, Rexroat, Shilton, Mericle, & Lerch, 2010;White, Mellow, Englander, & Ruffinengo, 2011). It is common that interventions may be tailored (i.e., offenders with substance abuse issues may be placed in facilities that primarily offer drug treatment counseling while offenders with employment issues may be placed in facilities that offer offender employment assistance, vocational training, and work release programs).…”

“…The stigma of being an exoffender hinders many offenders from successfully reintegrating. Work-release HWHs have been successful in rehabilitating offenders, providing employment or vocational assistance, and reducing recidivism of the offenders participating in a HWH program (Bouffard et al, 2000;Lowenkamp et al, 2006;Ostermann, 2009;Taxman et al, 2010;White et al, 2011). Work-release and work-furlough programs have been utilized to aid offenders in preparing for, and actually reintegrating into, the community.…”

“…A structured yet offender-focused approach is used to increase the likelihood of successful reintegration for offenders. Ostermann (2009) assessed the New Jersey HWB program along with dayreporting centers (DRCs) and compared the groups against a control group comprised of offenders not in either program. HWB participants experienced lower levels of rearrest, reconviction, and a longer average time from release until a recidivistic action.…”